Deadline deal for Clarke

OLDHAM RL Club nipped in ahead of today’s signing deadline to capture Swinton Lions forward Chris Clarke on loan.

The 26-year-old former Huddersfield Giants and Bradford Bulls back-row man will be here until the end of the season — which could be as early as next Thursday, after the derby clash at Rochdale, or as late as the last weekend in September following the play-offs.

“We’ve told Chris we hope he has one of the shortest loan spells there’s ever been,” said Roughyeds chairman Chris Hamilton.

That will only happen if North Wales Crusaders go down to Hemel Stags on Sunday and Oldham win each of their last two games.

Clarke - not the Oxford and former Oldham forward - will top up the squad for the final assault on promotion.

The Oldham boss said: “He has trained well with us. He picked things up very quickly. He looks to be our kind of player. The squad was down to skeleton size and I needed a little bit more meat on the bones.”