Stick to the plan, demands Tupaea

RUGBY: 

IAN Sinfield has returned to the Saddleworth Rangers ranks as the club tries to inject fresh life into an ailing campaign.

The Greenfield side, beaten 29-18 at second-bottom Dewsbury last time out, has been hampered not only by the absence of some players but also by the team not keeping to instructions.

“There have been promising signs,” said coach Shane Tupaea, who picked out Dale Lowe and Ethan Langhorn as consistent performers. “But at Dewsbury, all the points we conceded came down one side. We had worked on our slide defence too, so it is hard to understand it. We have a problem sticking to our game plan.”

Sinfield will at least provide experience to a line-up which was shorn of five players on the night before last week’s game.

Tupaea also hopes that Tom Dransfield can continue to come to the fore, as the talented Josh Bradbury finds his feet in the senior game.

In Division Two, Oldham St Anne’s are at home and will hope to address the issues that led to a 46-16 defeat at Castleford last week.

Player-coach Mick Fogerty — whose options were ruined by injuries and suspensions — is plotting the downfall of fifth-placed Bradford Dudley Hill at Higginshaw Road.

Elsewhere in the same section, Waterhead are away again at mid-table Stanley Rangers.



SADDLEWORTH Rangers are hosting a Masters match tomorrow, featuring the players who won the under-18s North West Counties Division One Cup in 1997.

That side — featuring the likes of Kevin Fitzpatrick, Paul Ashton, Marlon Miller, David and Jason Best, Stuart Frazer and Gareth Davies — have just turned 35. The game starts at 11am at Shaw Hall Bank Road, before the main game of the day.