Jamie is heading in the right direction

Oldham's 16th and youngest signing so far in the club’s exciting squad-building exercise for 2019 is 20-year-old hooker Jamie Greenwood from Huddersfield Giants.

As a specialist dummy-half he will inevitably be behind club captain Gareth Owen and Matty Wilkinson in the pecking order, but having just emerged from Academy rugby at Huddersfield he will be adapting to the greater demands of Betfred League 1 and developing alongside two accomplished exponents of his trade.

He has also been known to play at half-back but he is, in his words, “mainly a hooker".

He is the youngest of three Greenwood brothers and his senior siblings Lee and Gareth are household names in West Yorkshire rugby league circles and hugely respected as experienced and highly qualified coaches.

Lee, who played for Oldham on the wing in 2009 after a Super League career spanning 81 games, was recently appointed head coach of Dewsbury Rams.

Gareth, who played for Halifax and Huddersfield, has joined him as his No 2.

Both are former head coaches at NCL premier division side Siddal ARLFC where Jamie played from the age of six until he was snapped up by Huddersfield Giants.

“In a rugby family like ours I seem to have had a ball in my hands since I was two or three years old,” said Jamie.

Explaining how he came to cross the Pennines and sign for Roughyeds, Greenwood jnr said: “I know Zack McComb well from Siddal and Lee has known Chris (Hamilton) for several years, ever since he played there, and I’ve heard nothing but good about the club.

“Everything Zack has told me is positive and I’m really looking forward to it.

“I owe a big thank-you to a lot of people who have helped me along the way, including my brothers, but also Luke Robinson, who did a lot for me at Giants.

“He changed my attitude and helped me enormously, not only on the mental side but also in the technicalities of the game and of the position I usually play.

“I loved my last year there in a full-time environment and rubbing shoulders with top players.

“It must be a great way to earn a living. In my case it wasn’t to be, but I’m looking forward to a new chapter in my life now, working full-time for my mate, who has his own business, and seeing how I go in senior rugby with Oldham.”

Roughyeds boss Scott Naylor said: “When we got the tip that Jamie was available I spoke to a couple of people at Huddersfield and they both spoke well of him and recommended that we sign him.

“He can play hooker or half-back and he’ll have youth and exuberance on his side.

“He’s another player who will give us options and that could come in handy, given that we have only two half-backs.

“It’s a step-up for him from Academy rugby, but it’s a great chance for him to make the transition and to advance his career via a different route.

“I’m looking forward to working with him and to seeing how he goes at our level.”

Signings so far:

Backs: Dave Hewitt, Paul Crook, Danny Grimshaw, Jack Holmes, Aaron Jones-Bishop, Richie Hawkyard, Anthony Bowman.
Forwards: Luke Nelmes, Phil Joy, Jack Spencer, Ben Davies, Gareth Owen, Matty Wilkinson, Liam Bent, Jamie Greenwood, Ben Calland.

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