Hamilton in rallying call

ROUGHYEDS chief executive Chris Hamilton has called on the rugby-loving public of Oldham to support the team’s cause this weekend.

The crowd figure for the thrilling 31-26 play-off victory over local rivals Swinton — a season-low 745 — provided disappointment amid the joy of reaching the next stage of the tussle for promotion.

With an expected travelling army of more than 200 Hunslet supporters expected to travel across the Pennines for Sunday’s Co-operative Championship One elimination semi-final, the hope is that Roughyeds fans will be enticed back to Boundary Park to give Tony Benson’s men some much-needed backing in what will, win or lose, be the final home match in 2009.

“Those that were at the Swinton game enjoyed full value for money,” said Mr Hamilton. “With it being an all-pay gate, our poor form going into that game may have contributed to the low attendance.

“So by the same token, the fact that we won in the manner we did will hopefully attract bigger numbers for this game.”

The squad trains together tonight and Benson will be crossing his fingers that the condition of loose forward Phil Joseph has improved since earlier in the week.

The powerful loose forward, who scored an important try from the base of the scrum towards the end of the Swinton tie, is struggling with a long-standing hamstring injury.

Should the Roughyeds make it through by defeating Hunslet, the team will travel to face the losers from the qualifying semi-final clash between Keighley and York at Cougar Park, a match which also takes place this Sunday.