Walne injury blow

JORDAN WALNE . . . broken hand

JORDAN Walne's brief stay at Oldham is over as the club comes to terms with another injury blow.

Signed on a month's loan from Salford Red Devils only last Thursday, the prop-forward made a big impact on debut at Rochdale Hornets on Sunday.

He had a lot to do to score the first of Oldham's four tries and soon afterwards it needed Rochdale's resolute goal-line defence to stop him scoring again.

It has since emerged that he broke a hand and will be out for several weeks - a cruel blow for the Roughyeds who were already without Phil Joy, another prop, who has a dislocated shoulder.

Other players who picked up knocks in a bruising 26-all draw at Rochdale will be assessed at training tonight ahead of Saturday's fourth-round Ladbrokes Challenge Cup tie against amateurs Haydock at Bower Fold (1pm kick-off).

Club chairman Chris Hamilton, meanwhile, has commended George Tyson for the way he handled personal pressure to come up with a superb performance in the Rochdale derby.

He defended well and played a lead role in the build-up to second-half tries by Adam Clay and Michael Ward.

It was the centre's first game back after a four-match ban for striking at the end of the pre-season Law Cup game against Hornets at Bower Fold.

Said the Roughyeds chief: "It was a big test for him to return against the same opponents, but he handled it superbly and I would like to praise him publicly for that.

"He proved a lot of people wrong while still having a big game, and I'm delighted for him and very pleased at the way he conducted himself."