New era dawns for local rugby

Photo: PICTURES by VINCENT BROWN

WATERHEAD, WATERHEAD EVERYWHERE: Players are put through their paces at Breezehill School in preparation for the new season which gets under way on Saturday.

Part two of KEVIN RICHARDSON’s look at the new season head
SADDLEWORTH: EMERSON Jackman has sent out a clear message to his Saddleworth Rangers side in the build up to the 2012 National Conference League season — “play with no fear”.

The Greenfield outfit are in transition, with several of the club’s promising set of younger players expected to be given their heads in the summer months.

Scrum-half Josh Bradbury, centre Jack Connor and full-back Ollie Kerr, to name but three, are the next generation ready to step up.

And, with that in mind, Jackman wants his players to simply relish the experience.

The 38 year old, who takes his team to Ince Rose Bridge on Saturday, said: “I want us to go out and enjoy it.

“There is no pressure on us at all. It’s a great chance for them to express themselves. I want them to play with no fear.”

Jackman took over the reins on a temporary basis on the eve of the NCL interim campaign after the sudden departure of Martin Crompton, the ex-Oldham Bears captain and Blackpool Panthers boss.

He was named permanent coach before Christmas and has since been busily preparing for summer rugby.

Jackman has brought in former Oldham RL second row or centre Ben Wood, a former junior at Rangers, and top local stand-off Kiel Lancashire, who has made the switch across town from Oldham St Anne’s.

However, Rangers will miss Michael Coates, one of the NCL’s top points-scorers, after he became a dad.

“If we can finish in the top half-a-dozen teams, then that’s fine by me,” said Jackman, who is assisted by his nephew, Oldham full-back Miles Greenwood. “Anything else is a bonus.

“We’ll be blooding a lot of the kids. They are the future of the club and it will be interesting to see how they will go in the Premier Division.

“The likes of Ben and Kiel have come in and trained really well. In fact, the whole squad has worked hard.

“This is a different experience for everyone. We’ve been used to pre-season training in the summer when it’s light at night and you can go outside.

“It’s been freezing up until a week or so ago and we’ve been inside, but that should hopefully all change soon.”




Waterhead: CARL Sneyd’s appetite is back and he is ready to aid Waterhead’s bid for promotion from National Conference League Division Two.



The ace goal-kicker spent 18 months on the sidelines recovering from a cruciate knee ligament injury.

The cruel blow stopped his professional career, which started at Rochdale and carried on with Swinton, in its tracks.

He admitted to falling out of love with the game, only to be persuaded to pull on his boots again at the club where he spent his days as a junior, Waterhead.

“I lost a bit of interest,” said Sneyd. “I was travelling to Swinton to spend 20 minutes in the gym, while the other lads were out on the field.

“I was playing really well when I got injured and it hit me hard.”

Sneyd’s first game back for the Peach Road outfit, for which he first joined as a 13-year-old, was during the 2011 interim league season.

With his fare share of tries and goals, he helped his side claim second place in their section.

Now, with the start of the National Conference League season just 48 hours — Waterhead are at home Askham — Sneyd can’t wait to get stuck in.

He said: “I started to miss playing rugby and when my sister’s fiance, Alan Williamson, who plays at Waterhead, asked if I wanted to come back, I decided to give it a go.

“I had an offer from Oldham to sign professionally, but I thought I might lose interest. I want to enjoy my rugby and I am — I’m loving it.”

Dashing towards the try-line, slotting over a conversion or throwing a double — Sneyd is also a member of the Oldham town darts team — they all come the same to the 24-year-old.

And he has got his sights trained on hitting the bullseye in the green and red of Waterhead.

Sneyd went on: “We’re a very good side with ambition and lots of potential.

“We’ve got some very good players — Dale Lowe, Michael Diveney, Terry Fitzgerald, Kieran Grennan and Darren Nixon — to name but a few.

“There is a lot competition for places. That’s good.

“For me, there is nothing worse than turning up at training knowing you are guaranteed your place.

“The coaches, Jon Perks and Paul Geener, are also former Waterhead players and know what it means to play for the club.”




A PLACE in the top three is the target set by the Waterhead coaching team of Paul Geener and Jon Perks.



Lifted by an excellent National Conference League interim campaign in which they finished second in their pool, the Peach Road club are plotting a course to Division One.

Former player Geener (37) said: “Everyone is very confident, especially if we play up to our full potential.

“We’ve got Andy Sands to come back from a ban and Danny Knight should return in four or five weeks. He’s been out because of work commitments.

“Alan Williamson and Ryan Collins didn’t play in the Challenge Cup defeat at Hunslet Old Boys, and we missed them.”

Geener and Perks have long been associated with the club, as players at first before the rising through the coaching ranks.

However, this will be the first time they have been in charge of the senior team from the start of the season after previously stepping in part-way through to take over from firstly Mick Slicker and then Garry Highton.




Higginshaw: HIGGINSHAW kick-off their North-West Counties Men’s Open Summer League season on April 21.



Placed in the fourth of five divisions, they have yet to discover their opening-day opponents.

Higgy are hoping to have a new coach in place by then, while the side is expected to feature a clutch of under-17s from last season, including the likes of Elliot White and Ryan Standring.

The pair made their open age debuts in the 52-24 defeat by NWCL Division Two high-flyers Heyshaw Atoms.

And White made an instant impact by scoring a brace of tries in the home clash.

Chris Tomlin and Gareth Franklin also went over, while another young talent Jamie Mayall kicked the goals.

Higgy were also in action on Tuesday night in the Standard Cup, but they had no answer against a strong Rochdale Mayfield team, who recorded an 64-0 win.