Giants step towards realising promotion dream - Hamilton

OLDHAM RL chairman Chris Hamilton hopes the new link with Huddersfield Giants will help the club realise its dream of promotion.

The Whitebank chief is the last to need reminding that Roughyeds have lost six of the last eight third-tier Grand Finals, with the most heart-breaking last October at Headingley, when Hunslet went up to the Championship courtesy of their last-gasp victory.

After discussion over the winter with head coach Scott Naylor, Hamilton believes switching attention from Salford to the Giants will help Oldham finally reap dividends.

Hamilton, who has just begun his 18th season as Oldham's chairman, admitted October’s crushing loss to the Hawks was a bitter pill to swallow.

“People still talk about October’s final. It’s still in my mind and as hard as it is, I think we all have to focus on what’s ahead, rather that what’s past. After that game it was incredibly hard because it was the cruellest defeat. But Scott and I have spent a lot of time analysing what we could have done differently and what we did that maybe we shouldn’t.

One realisation from the lost finals was that the quality of the dual-registration partnerships had been key: “In 2013 Rochdale had their Saints link, while Hunslet had Leeds. Those players clearly made a difference for Hunslet. When the opportunity came up to partner Huddersfield Giants, it was just what we needed. They are very much onside with what we’re trying to achieve at Oldham, so of course that’s vitally important.

“At the moment it’s win-win for Oldham; Huddersfield know full well we want to get out of this division. No club has won more games than us over the last couple of seasons without having promotion.

“We desperately want to get out of this division - and hopefully this will be our year.”

@Smedders1966