Dallimore blow for Roughyeds

Jamie Dallimore: Three game ban.

OLDHAM Rugby League Club copped another major blow last night when Jamie Dallimore was hit a three-game ban by the RFL disciplinary committee.

The goalkicking half-back will miss Saturday's rearranged game against South Wales Scorpions at Whitebank (1pm kick-off), the trip to Wrexham to play North Wales Crusaders on Sunday, June 10 (2.30pm), and the derby clash with Rochdale Hornets at Whitebank on Sunday, June 24 (3pm).

Accompanied by his club chairman, Chris Hamilton, 23-year-old Dallimore made a personal appearance at the hearing in Leeds to answer a charge arising from an incident in the Roughyeds' game at Doncaster on May 13, picked up by the match review panel on DVD.

He was found guilty of "dangerous contact with an unacceptable risk of injury".

It was the fourth time in six matches that the former Great Britain amateur internationalis disciplinary record had suffered.

After the bad-tempered derby at Rochdale on April 6 he escaped a ban after entering an early-guilty plea to the relatively minor grade A charge of punching during a mass flare-up involving players of both sides.

He got a yellow card during the Challenge Cup tie at St Helens — for tackling James Robyis legs when the St Helens hooker was already held up in a tackle — and ultimately received a formal caution, although he wasn't charged.

He also received a caution, without charge, for a "dangerous throw" in the game against North Wales at Whitebank on May 6.

His overall record this season appears to have been taken into consideration before the judiciary banned him for three games.

It will hit the club hard because coach Tony Benson's injury-ravaged squad has already gone five league games without a win _ four losses, one draw --- and will again be missing key men when Scorpions come to Whitebank on Saturday.

Benson is banking on forwards Paul Noone and David Ellison returning after injury, Noone for the first time since he damaged an ankle on an uneven pitch at London Skolars five weeks ago.

Valu Bentley (calf), Lucas Onyango (hamstring) and Alex Thompson (knee) are battling for fitness after picking up knocks against Whitehaven last Sunday.

Graham Holroyd will be expected to take over Dallimore's goalkicking duties, while Danny Whitmore would appear to be the obvious choice to partner Holroyd at half-back.

Roughyeds face a hectic weekend with the reserves in action at Featherstone on Friday night (8pm) and both the first team and the Extended Scholarship under-18s playing on Saturday.

Phil Costin's under-18s go to Hunslet Hawks (2.30pm kick-off).


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