Prop Neal fixes sights on 'huge three weeks'

ADAM NEAL . . . important stage of the season for the Roughyeds

OLDHAM haven't strung together two wins all season, but they've enough self belief to target victories in the next three, starting on Sunday against out-of-touch Batley Bulldogs at the Manchester Regional Athletics Centre in the Etihad Complex.

Games against the Bulldogs, Rochdale Hornets at Summer Bash and Swinton Lions at Sale on June 4 are all considered to be winnable.

"They'll be looking at us in much the same way that we look at them," said prop Adam Neal. "Nevertheless, we have a real opportunity to go for a maximum six points and that's what we're aiming for.

"We're looking at a huge three weeks. These are exciting times."

First things first, and although Bulldogs put 50 points on a desperately poor Roughyeds at the Fox's Biscuits Stadium in March, they were to come unstuck shortly afterwards. They haven't won since April 9, having slumped to five successive losses.

With a game in hand on each of their next three opponents, Oldham will climb to seventh place - their highest-ever at Championship level - if they can avenge the trouncing they suffered in Yorkshire when Batley's forwards smashed Scott Naylor's men up the middle.

It was a defensive nightmare for Roughyeds, who were similarly suspect last time out when shipping 74 points at London Broncos.

Interestingly, though, they're not alone in leaking lots of points. Defensively, the top five are in a different league.

Compared with the other bottom-seven sides, however, Oldham's 'points against' column is pretty much par for the course.

Indeed, only Rochdale have conceded fewer than Oldham's 374 although Roughyeds have played a game less than most of them.

Added Neal: "We weren't exactly solid in defence at London so when we resumed training on Tuesday after a week off we had a tough session with heavy concentration on defence. Everybody bought into it.

"We've been inconsistent all season and we certainly haven't done as well as we would have liked away from home.

"If we knew the answer we could fix it in a week. It's got to be a mental thing - that and perhaps a need for a little bit more maturity in terms of playing at Championship level.

"We're all excited about playing at a new ground, but it won't be like playing at Bower Fold. It will be similar to Summer Bash a week later; a neutral pitch which neither side is used to.

"We're looking forward to it. We haven't forgotten what happened at Batley and how many points we let in at London. We've got to fix up that defence and hopefully get a win that will set us up nicely for Rochdale and Swinton."

Coach Naylor has reason to be "frustrated" - his word - by his team's inconsistent performances.

You couldn't believe the team that beat Sheffield, Bradford Bulls, Swinton Lions, lost at Featherstone by two points, held London to two points at Bower Fold and drew at Rochdale was the same one that suffered heavy losses at Hull KR, Batley, Toulouse and London away after an early-morning start and a long drive down to Ealing.

Said Naylor: "We are far too inconsistent."