Neal's agony as injury jinx strikes again

Oldham forward Adam Neal

THE injury jinx that has hammered Oldham RL Club in its 20th-anniversary season has struck again.

Prop Adam Neal, a stalwart of the front-row, suffered a broken jaw in Sunday's brilliant 14-12 win against French full-timers Toulouse Olympique at Bower Fold.

He has since had surgery, but the club won't know how long he is likely to be sidelined until it receives full details of the injury and what was required to be done during the operation.

He was taken off late in the second half and hospital x-rays later confirmed the club's worst fears.

Danny Langtree, another top forward, was taken off about the same time with an arm injury and that will be assessed at training tonight along with the injuries of several more front-line players who are currently out of action.

Said coach Scott Naylor: "In my first four seasons at the club we were relatively lucky regarding injuries, but we've certainly had to suffer for it this year.

"I've never known anything like it."

Currently on a long casualty roster are Scott Turner, Scott Leatherbarrow, Jack Spencer, Richard Lepori, Gareth Owen, Danny Grimshaw, Craig Briscoe and Phil Joy, who will be out for the rest of the season after a major shoulder operation.

Add Neal and Langtree to that list and that's a full pack of forwards injured in Neal, Owen, Joy, Langtree, Briscoe, Spencer, plus four leading backs in Turner, Leatherbarrow, Lepori and Grimshaw.

Briscoe, who hasn't played at all this year after a knee reconstruction, hopes to be back in action before the season ends in September.

BEST CHANCES

Leatherbarrow, who damaged an ankle in the first few minutes at Bradford, and Turner, who was concussed against Dewsbury Rams, probably have the best chances of being up for selection in the game against Featherstone Rovers at Bower Fold on Sunday.

Turner saw a neuro-surgeon last Friday and was told he can resume contact work two weeks after the injury, which means he will be ready for training on Thursday night.

The club is waiting for the results of a scan on Gareth Owen's damaged foot, while Lepori is waiting for a scan on an ankle.

Despite this injury pile-up, Roughyeds rattled Toulouse with a rousing performance from a young, new-look side.

Fans will be hoping for more of the same on Sunday as Naylor's boys strive to pull away from the lower reaches of the table.