Back with a bang

SMILING assassin: Gareth Owen touches down in the 64-0 romp at home to Oxford.

SINCE his return from a two-match ban, Gareth Owen has been in the sort of form that won him more than 30 Super League appearances with Salford Red Devils.

There were signs at Barrow seven weeks ago the Oldham hooker was stepping up his game - before he was sent off for scrapping with Liam Campbell. He was devastated afterwards and almost inconsolable.

Perhaps anticipating that the next game at home to Newcastle would be his last for a few weeks, Owen played outstandingly well from dummy half, scoring a try and creating three more in the Roughyeds’ convincing 45-20 win.

Then came the bans. Both Owen and George Tyson were similarly punished in the fall-out from the Barrow brawl - and how they were missed in the defeats that followed. But both were in good form when they returned for the 64-0 romp against Oxford, and in the first half of the more intimidating challenge of Swinton Owen stamped his classy mark all over the Roughyed onslaught.

But as coach Scott Naylor was quick to point out, it will count for nothing if Owen and Co allow the standards they have set in the last two games to slip in what many will see as a less challenging task against Gloucester tomorrow.

They haven’t beaten Oldham in the six clashes since they joined the league in 2013, but have gone close a few times.

Coached well by ex-Oldham winger Lee Greenwood, they relied heavily on a massive defensive effort, the astute field kicking of Bury boy Matt Bradley, huge team commitment and tactics to slow down the Roughyeds - tactics that eventually got them a team warning in the most recent match a few weeks ago.

The All Golds have strengthened their squad considerably since then, fielding former Hunslet winger Lee Mapals in last week’s game at Barrow, and centre Edwin Okanga-Ajwang, who played a few games for Oldham last season on loan from Salford.

Naylor said: “The table is misleading; they are much stronger than their position indicates. They've run a few teams close, including us, and if bonus points were still applicable they would be a few positions higher.”