Roughyeds coach hails class of 2011

TONY BENSON . . . delighted with make up of team.

ROUGHYEDS coach Tony Benson admits the current squad has evolved to become almost unrecognisable from the one he was presented with when first arriving at the club two years ago.

Only one player — Marcus St Hilaire — remains from the Oldham side that lost the 2008 play-off final, a defeat which saw Steve Deakin leave the club with Benson coming in.

Purse strings have had to be pulled in recently, both as a result of tight finances at the Whitebank Stadium-based outfit and the Rugby Football League’s banning of guaranteed money for players.

But despite those obstacles, Benson reckons he has on board a good mix of players, ahead of Sunday’s opening Northern Rail Cup pool game at home to Hunslet Hawks.

“I was looking at photos from the season before last and very few of the players are still here,” said Benson.

“When you look at the team from when I first arrived to now, it is pretty much a whole new bunch of players.

“I am more than happy with what we have got now. The spirit is there and we are training well together.

“Things are being picked up quickly and we are gelling already with our plays.

“We are definitely ahead of where we were at this point last year for obvious reasons.

“It is a new team, but we are progressing well.

“The recruitment has been really good and Chris (Hamilton, Oldham chairman) has done a really good job there on a shoestring.

“The ratio of local and academy players to experience is pretty much bang-on.

“And the application and effort put into our pre-season programme — Dogger (Martin Roden, assistant coach and conditioner) has done a fantastic job — has been good.”

Benson felt that the work done behind the scenes paid off during the 50-0 home hammering in a friendly against recently-relegated Whitehaven.

It was a game that featured one of the club’s most notable signings of the off-season, ex-Warrington, Harlequins and Widnes second row forward Paul Noone — a player who has clearly impressed his new coach with his attitude.

“Paul is the ultimate professional,” Benson added.

“He is in fantastic shape and he has been so positive and enthusiastic.

“When you talk about the enthusiasm, Paul brings more than anyone and that is exciting in itself.

“He bounces round the place and often texts me to say how great it is here.

“He is one hell of a find for us.”

After Hunslet’s visit on Sunday, Oldham face other Northern Rail Cup

matches away at Halifax (February 13) and Swinton (February 20) and at home to Whitehaven (February 27).




Trophies on show



ROUGHYEDS players will parade the the Law Cup and SEAT Trophy at a two-hour signing session in the Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre on Saturday.



They will meet shoppers between 10.30am and 12.30pm on the upper mall between Peacocks and Next.

The visit is part of a renewed agreement in which Spindles will be sponsoring the Roughyeds.

The Oldham Roughyeds Supporters Association hold a pre-season meeting at Whitebank on Friday (8pm). New members can join on the night for an annual subscription of £10 adults, £7.50 concessions and students and £5 under-16s.

For more information ring Paul Whalley on 07796 631192 or email him at PW4856@aol.com