Oldham suffer Thornley hammer blow

Oldham centre Iain Thornley. Image courtesy of ORLFC

Oldham centre Iain Thornley has been ruled out for the season after scans confirmed a complete rupture of the ACL.

The 33-year-old suffered the injury in the Betfred Championship win over Featherstone Rovers last month but managed to play on and complete the game. 

Scans have now confirmed the worst possible news, with Thornley - who arrived on a two-year deal in November - now facing an extended period on the sidelines that will rule him out of any further involvement in 2025.

"It looks like my season is over. We thought it was a bit of bone bruising but after I tried training and felt a bit uneasy under foot we had a scan and it has come back as a complete rupture of my ACL," he told Roughyeds TV.

"I think I have done it in the Featherstone game, we thought it was bruising and I finished the game somehow.

"Then I had a week off, got through some training but in the team run I felt my knee slip a bit in warm up so we knew something wasn't quite right so I had a scan and unfortunately they told us the worst had happened.

 "I felt like we were just getting to the point of the season where things were getting good.

"It is unfortunate and it hurts but you laugh otherwise you would cry.

"I will do the rehab and do everything I can to get back as quickly as possible."

Head coach Sean Long added: "I'm absolutely gutted for Iain who is a big player for us and one of our leaders on and off the pitch.

"We have had a really bad run with injuries already this year and this one really stings. 

"Luckily Jumah Sambou is now available after suspension so we hope that Jumah can hit the ground running and find the form that he was showing at the start of the season.

"But we will miss Iain massively, of that there is no doubt.

"We wish him all the very best with his recovery."

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