Time to build on spirited efforts

ROUGHYEDS fans should have seen it coming.

After hauling themselves up by the bootstraps in hugely impressive fashion to reach the Co-operative Championship One play-off final, Tony Benson’s bruised and battered boys came within a whisker of shocking Keighley even when most observers felt the game was up.

Daring to dream despite past heartbreak of recent years, even with less than a minute left on the clock and with the short-handed Cougars grabbing desperately onto the ropes like a punch-drunk boxer, those in Oldham colours will have felt once Marcus St Hilaire took up possession that the most unlikely of all results in an extraordinary season was still possible.

Cruelly, the hope that was built up evaporated on the final hooter after one too many pushed pass failed to find its target.

Fatigue was to blame for the loss to Featherstone two years ago, while a couple of slightly questionable video referee calls and a general loss of form contributed to the Doncaster defeat in 2008.

This time, a heartbreaking third consecutive play-off final disappointment can be put largely down to the fact that rugby league matches only last for 80 minutes and not five more.

Overall, Keighley deserved it and the Roughyeds didn’t quite do enough to merit promotion on the day. But the experience was the most bitter of pills to swallow.

Still, plenty of pride should be taken away from the fact that the patched-up squad made it to within one game of an unlikely promotion.

Earlier in the year, there was a feeling that an expensively assembled squad was under-achieving in the big games.

Once the ‘famous five’ had left and relocated to Barrow – much to the despair of fans and coaching staff alike – the remainder of the season took on a different complexion and expectations were adjusted suitably.

Finding out that Martin Roden was to step out of retirement to fill in at hooker in a big game away at champions-elect Dewsbury, with debutant Ben Heaton on the bench along with Luke Sutton, a prop who had hardly trained due to personal difficulties, you feared the worst.

Especially on a weekend which had already seen assistant coach Mark Cass sacked after allegedly placing money against his own side.

But something happened at the Tetley’s Stadium over and above the 38-8 defeat. The team suddenly seemed completely united, adding up to more – rather than the previous less – the sum of its constituent parts.

Triumph over adversity soon became a theme, most notably in the play-off campaign which saw rivals Hunslet and York absolutely demolished.

What will happen now? Nobody yet knows exactly what will become of the majority shareholding that Bill Quinn announced he was willing to sell earlier this season.

Rumour has it that new investors are being lined up. With considerable debts believed to exist following a season in which the club staved off a winding-up order over unpaid tax, it has to be hoped that if new money men are brought in, that they have deep pockets.

Time is of the essence here. The longer the current stand-off at board level continues, the more players from the current squad who have yet to commit for next year will be lost to rival clubs.

After the sterling efforts they have collectively put into this season, that would be a tragedy for everyone concerned.