Rangers facing tough cup test

AMATEUR RUGBY LEAGUE: SADDLEWORTH Rangers have been handed one the toughest possible draws in round one of the Carnegie Challenge Cup — but at least they can count on home advantage.

Keith Brennan’s side, riding high in division one of the National Conference League, play host to Siddal.

Their opponents are the reigning NCL champions after claiming victory in last season’s Grand Final and are going great guns in a bid to keep hold of the coveted crown.

Coached by former Roughyeds winger Lee Greenwood, they are five points adrift of table-toppers Leigh East but possess two games in hand.

Rangers and Siddal locked horns last season in the BARLA National Cup quarter-finals at Shaw Hall Bank Road, with the Halifax side winning 16-2.

The other local clubs will also have to be at their very best to progress.

Waterhead, who are in preliminary round action, face a side familiar to fans of Oldham.

Mick Slicker’s men play host to Sharlston Rovers, who have won all seven of their games in the Pennine League premier division so far this season.

The village outfit from West Yorkshire played against Oldham in the 2009 Challenge Cup competition and put up a good fight at Boundary Park before losing 26-8.

Mick Cashin’s Oldham St Anne’s welcome Wigan St Jude’s to Peach Road.

St Jude’s, winners of the NCL first-division title two seasons ago, sit in a heavily-congested mid-table section in the top flight.

The draws —

Preliminary round — pool ‘A’: Leigh Miners Rangers v Millom; York Acorn v Skirlaugh; Orchard Park and Greenwood v Wath Brow Hornets; WATERHEAD v Sharlston Rovers; Egremont Rangers v Oulton Raiders; Widnes St Maries v Myton Warriors; Yorkshire Cup Winners v Leigh East; OLDHAM ST ANNE’S v Wigan St Jude’s; West Bowling v Normanton Knights; Wigan St Patrick’s v Broughton Red Rose.

Pool ‘B’: Nottingham Outlaws v Hull University; Warrington Wizards v Birmingham University; Leeds Met University v St Mary’s University.

Ties to be played January 2-3.

Round one — pool ‘A’: Orchard Park and Greenwood or Wath Brow v Kells; Stanningley v OLDHAM ST ANNE’S or Wigan St Judes; Bradford Dudley Hill v Castleford Panthers; Castleford Lock Lane v Thornhill Trojans; Shaw Cross Sharks v Leigh Miners Rangers or Millom; Crosfields v Rochdale Mayfield; Ince Rose Bridge v Egremont Rangers or Oulton Raiders; Milford Marlins v Eastmoor Dragons; Heworth v Hunslet Warriors; SADDLEWORTH RANGERS v Siddal; York Acorn or Skirlaugh v Thatto Heath Crusaders; East Hull v Stanley Rangers; Eccles and Salford Juniors v Yorkshire Cup Winners or Leigh East; Hull Dockers v Halton Simms Cross; West Bowling or Normanton Knights v Wigan St Patrick’s or Broughton Red Rose; East Leeds v Ovenden; WATERHEAD or Sharlston Rovers v West Hull; Widnes St Maries or Myton Warriors V Lancashire Cup winners.

Pool ‘B’: RAF v Warrington Wizards or Birmingham University; British Police v Dewsbury Celtic; West London Sharks v Nottingham Outlaws or Hull University; Featherstone Lions v Army; Leeds Met University or St Mary’s University v Loughborough University; Gloucestershire University v Edinburgh Eagles; Northumbria University v Navy; Blackwood Bulldogs v Edge Hill University.

Ties to be played on January 23-24.


SADDLEWORTH Rangers are setting the pace in the Rugby Oldham Club Challenge 2009-10.

They leapfrogged Oldham St Anne’s, who were without a fixture, thanks to a gutsy 10-4 win at Stanningley in division one of the National Conference League.