'Fed up' Spencer quits Oldham

Lee Spencer

SAID to have been "fed up for a while", assistant coach Lee Spencer has left Oldham RLFC after four and a half seasons as Scott Naylor's right-hand man.

News of Spencer's shock departure came only 24 hours after it emerged that head coach Naylor had been given a touchline ban by the RFL. The two are NOT related in any way.

Naylor's ban is a match-day-only sanction so he can continue to take charge of training, alongside his other assistant Peter Carey.

His involvement in the next two games against Swinton Lions and Hull KR will be curtailed, however, so Roughyeds have brought in Alan Hunte, former head of youth development at Salford, to work with Carey at those two games.

Hunt, who had a spell as Salford's head coach and is well known by Naylor, Carey and half the Roughyeds squad, will also be at next week's training sessions.

As a player he scored 93 tries in 157 Super League games for St Helens, Hull, Warrington and Salford between 1996 and 2002.

Naylor and his squad, meanwhile, are coming to terms with the realisation that 'Spanner' will no longer be around.

Club chairman Chris Hamilton said he left the club after Saturday's Summer Bash defeat by Rochdale Hornets at Blackpool and was still adamant about going when the chairman spoke to him again on Tuesday.

Added Hamilton: "I had a long chat with him, but his mind was made up. He's been fed up for a while. He's also busy at work and has been for some time.

"He told me he was no longer getting satisfaction and whatever else he wanted out of his job at Oldham.

"His decision to leave was his alone. It happens. We thank him, wish him all the best and assure him that he will always be welcome at this club."

Naylor and Spencer had worked together at Salford earlier in their careers and when Naylor took over at Whitebank in the autumn of 2012 he quickly invited Spencer to be his No 2.

Two grand finals, one promotion later, Naylor said of 'Spanner's' decision: "He's been thinking about it for a couple of months. It's his decision. I understand it.

"It's unfortunate for the club, for me, for the lads and for the staff.

"It's a sad day too for the club and for me. We took over together at Oldham and we've seen the club go forward over the last five years.

"He hasn't rushed into this. He has his reasons and we need to respect his decision and wish him well."

After picking up knocks in two games over the Bank Holiday weekend, Castleford have recalled Tuoyo Egodo. Both he and Kieran Gill are expected to be in the Tigers' 19 for Sunday's home game against St Helens.