Crowley signs two-year contract

Josh Crowley

OLDHAM forward Josh Crowley has signed a new two-year contract as promoted Roughyeds gear up for life as a Championship club.

Opponents next season will be Halifax, Sheffield, Leigh, Featherstone, Dewsbury, London Broncos, Workington, Batley, Whitehaven, Wakefield or Bradford and Swinton or Keighley.

“Getting to play in the higher division is something I’ve always aimed for,” said the former Widnes youngster, 24 last Thursday.

“I had a chance to join a championship club last year, but decided to stay at Oldham - and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

“The season that’s just finished was fabulous for everyone at the club, capped off when we won the league leaders shield and the championship trophy and clinched promotion.

“I love playing for Oldham and I’m going up with a lot of the lads who have been together for the last three seasons.”

A year ago, he said, coach Scott Naylor and chairman Chris Hamilton convinced him he would be better off staying at Whitebank rather than taking a leap into the unknown with a championship club.

“At first I found it hard to walk away from a move to the championship. Scott advised me to stay. I have a lot of faith in him and the club so I made the decision that turned out to be the best I ever made.”

When his new deal runs out in 2017 Josh will have been at Whitebank five years, and to date he has played in all 77 Oldham games since his debut at North Wales Crusaders in March 2013.

Looking ahead to next season, he said: “We’ll do better than a lot of people expect. We’ve already signed some good new players and if we keep the core of the squad together, like we have done for three years, we’ll do okay.”