Marked men

Danny Langtree: formidable partnership with Crowley

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ELEVEN games into the season and, partially due to Scott Naylor’s rotation policy, Josh Crowley remains Oldham RL Club’s only ever-present.

Eight of the 26 players have missed only one match, but Crowley is out on his own with an astonishing 100 per cent appearance record since early 2013, having played in all Roughyeds’ 60 cup, league and play-off games.

Most of these have been alongside Danny Langtree in a second-row partnership that can claim to be the best and most consistent at this level over two seasons. Both were head-hunted by rival clubs for 2015, but remained loyal to Roughyeds.

Oldham are at their most dangerous in attack when Crowley is at his best wide out on the left and Langtree on the right. As reputations have soared they have become marked men, so no prizes for guessing who visiting coach Stanley Gene will have picked out for special attention in Sunday’s top-three league clash against a strong Newcastle Thunder side at Whitebank (3pm).

Oldham need the twin strike force to be operating at maximum capacity for Naylor’s men to have the best chance of stretching their unbeaten league home record to 20 games.

Both coaches will stress the importance of discipline to keep penalties to a minimum and the relevance of a good kicking game and a big chase.

In those departments Naylor will be looking for improvement, while also considering that in the last two matches against Gloucester at home and Barrow away, Roughyeds have conceded a total of 60 points — 16 more than in their previous four league games.

Oldham are hoping for their best attendance of the season so far for an evenly-weighted contest in which Roughyeds, backed by vociferous fans, have to make home advantage count.