Oldham pair at season launch

HEAD coach Scott Naylor and newly-appointed club captain Lewis Palfrey will represent Oldham RL when the 2013 season is officially launched in Sheffield tomorrow.

All 23 clubs in the Championship and Championship One divisins will be present.

Three new clubs, Hemel Stags, Gloucester All Golds and Oxford, will be breaking new ground ahead of their first league games at the end of March.

Before then, Hemel, Gloucester, Oldham, Rochdale, North Wales, South Wales, London Skolars and Gateshead will each play four games in two Northern Rail Cup qualifying pools, the winner of each pool to go forward to the first-round proper with the 14 Championship clubs.

Oldham are in the tougher of the pools, playing Rochdale and Gateshead at Whitebank and the two Welsh clubs away from home.

In the league, Rochdale, North Wales Crusaders and Oldham are tipped to be among the promotion challengers, the team finishing top going up automatically, to be joined by the winners of the play-off.

Roughyeds will warm up in the annual pre-season Law Cup clash with derby rivals Rochdale at Spotland on Sunday, February 17 (3pm).