New duo happy at Oldham

Tuoyo Egodo

CASTLEFORD Tigers duo Keiran Gill and Tuoyo Egodo have told Oldham they are delighted to be linking up with Scott Naylor's squad on long-term loan deals.

"I spoke to them yesterday and they can't wait to join us," said Oldham chairman Chris Hamilton.

Both will be strongly fancied to get the nod from Roughyeds coach Scott Naylor when he names his side to face Sheffield Eagles at Bower Fold on Sunday (3pm) on the opening day of the Kingstone Press Championship season.

With George Tyson likely to be suspended, Gill (21) and Egodo (19), the two youngest players in Oldham's squad, could be paired up in the centre, as they were in a young Tigers side that lost a friendly at Batley on Friday night.

Forty-eight hours later Gill was a sub in a more experienced Tigers outfit that won 22-6 at St Helens.

TRIES

He is no stranger to Oldham, having scored eight tries in 12 games for Naylor's men at the back end of last season.

And such is his affinity with Roughyeds that he sent them a good-luck message before their first warm-up game against Swinton Lions.

Danny Langtree (pictured above), Adam Clay, Danny Grimshaw and Nathan Chappell will be checked out at training tonight as Naylor starts his build-up for the big game, hoping he will be able to field a stronger side than those that lost to Swinton and Rochdale and drew at Barrow in pre-season.

Grimshaw and Chappell, who have both had off-season surgery, have still to make their bow this year, while Langtree has played only a couple of minutes.

Sheffield will be formidable opposition, despite a close season of worry and anxiety caused by money problems.

They've signed former Oldham back-row man Will Hope, but it was their capture last night of Aussie stand-off Dane Chisholm that made the doubters sit up.

Chisholm (26) scored nine tries in 11 games for Bradford Bulls at the back end of last year, but his contract was terminated when the club went into liquidation.

Said Eagles coach Mark Aston: "Some might consider we are over-stretching financially, but I can guarantee we are not. We have a tough budget this year which Dane and all the other players fall into."

Naylor and club captain Gareth Owen will represent the club at the RFL's season-launch at Leigh Sports Village on Thursday.

The squad will be in Spindles on Saturday for a signing session between 11.30am and 12.30pm .

Season tickets can be collected from the main entrance at Bower Fold on Sunday from 1.30 pm. Turnstiles will open at 2pm.