Palfrey relishing link-up

LEWIS PALFREY

SCOTT Naylor and his former second-team captain at Salford City Reds have been reunited at Whitebank.

Utility back Lewis Palfrey has had two spells with Whitehaven and one with Batley Bulldogs since leaving the Willows, but says Whitebank will feel like home when he links up once more with Oldham’s new head coach and his assistant Lee Spencer.

As Academy captain and later reserve-team skipper at Salford, Palfrey (22) played for both Naylor and Spencer during his five years at the club, two of them as a full-time professional.

He comes to Oldham on a one-year deal after abandoning plans to play a season with Wollongong in New South Wales alongside Salford’s former hooker and club captain, Malcolm Alker.

Palfrey said: “I spoke to Scott soon after he got the Oldham job.

“I had agreed to play in Australia, but personal circumstances changed all that and as soon as I knew my Aussie trip was off the first thing I did was to ring Scott again.

“I know I’ll benefit enormously from being coached by those two.”

Naylor said: “It was always my view he didn’t get the first-team chances he deserved at Salford. I know what he can do. He is 100-per-cent for the cause.”