Rangers buy into work doctrine

OUT OF ACTION . . . Paul Raftery has a serious injury.

IMPROVED team commitment will bring Saddleworth Rangers success in Division One of the National Conference League, says coach Emerson Jackman.

Rangers finished bottom of the top flight last season, with many players struggling to juggle a busy training and fixture schedule with personal obligations.

But with former Rangers and Oldham RL scrum-half Paul Ashton joining as assistant coach and with many fixtures closer to home, Jackman believes the side will enjoy a new lease of life.

“After last year we had to change because there wasn’t a lot of commitment, but we’ve worked on that,” he said.

True to his word, recent snow didn’t stop training: the team went to a local gym instead

The club started 2013 by reaching the Oldham Amateur League’s Standard Cup semi-finals, which they lost, but the defeat was even harder on skipper Paul Raftery — he dislocated his knee and will be out for a while.

Out completely are Matt Bottom, Ben Wood and Gareth Morgan, who are playing in Australia for a season.

Rangers’ league fixtures start on Saturday when they welcome Wigan St Judes to Shaw Hall Bank Road — and Jackman wants maximum points.

He said: “That’s definitely a game we want to win.

“We’re well prepared, it’s at home and it’s the first game of the season.”

“Obviously we’ve stepped down a division, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”