Palfrey has an eye for goal

GOAL-GETTER . . . Lewis Palfrey has been in superb form for Oldham this season.

LEWIS Palfrey will lead Oldham into their biggest game of the season so far as the best goalkicker and the busiest harvester of points in the league.

Palfrey has played 18 matches since last failing to score: only Scott Leatherbarrow of Batley Bulldogs can match that in the entire world of rugby league.

A lot will be resting on match-winner Palfrey’s performance when Oldham entertain third-placed Swinton Lions at Whitebank on Sunday in the Roughyeds’ last, and potentially most rewarding, home game of the regular season.

His level of consistency at the goalkick has been matched by his team’s ability to step up to the mark week by week - leaving 11 wins in a row for the side and 99 goals for Palfrey, 21 more than his closest rival, Josh Ward of Barrow.

Further comparison shows Palfrey way out in front as League One’s leading points scorer with 243, ahead of Rochdale’s Paul Crook (203) and Ward (180).

Across the sport, and taking all competitions into account, only Martyn Ridyard of Leigh (148) has registered more goals than Palfrey’s 120 and only Ridyard (325) and Hull KR’s Josh Mantellato (298) have amassed more points than the Oldham captain’s 285..

Scott Naylor must now focus on how best to fill team vacancies caused by the suspensions of prop Adam Neal and Sam Gee. He has no shortage of options in the backs; his main task will be in the selection of his strongest pack and front-row.

Will Hope, a deadline-day signing, is vastly more experienced than Elliott Liku and Richard Joy, but it would be some game to throw Hope in at the deep end on his debut. Either way, it will be a big call for the Roughyeds’ coach.