Oldham tackle Broncos first up

It’s going to be a whole new ball game from anything we’ve experienced – skipper

PROMOTED Oldham begin life in the Kingstone Press Championship 2016 with a tasty home game against London Broncos, full-time professionals who were in Super League as recently as 2014.

Though they have still to announce a home venue — Whitebank doesn’t meet the RFL’s minimum standards — chairman Chris Hamilton is due to talk to Athletic chief Simon Corney about the possible use of SportsDirect.com Park.

The season starts on February 7 and in the first month Roughyeds face Broncos and Dewsbury Rams at home and Leigh Centurions and Featherstone Rovers away.

In their third home game, Scott Naylor’s men go head to head with the club at which Naylor won nearly every medal in rugby league as a tough-as-teak centre, Bradford Bulls.

In three League One seasons under Naylor’s command, Roughyeds have won 46 and drawn two of their 58 regular league games, losing only three at Whitebank and stringing together 14 wins in a row to clinch promotion.

A double-header over Easter sees Roughyeds play Halifax on Good Friday at home and Swinton Lions on Easter Monday at Sedgley Park.

The two newly-promoted clubs, Oldham and Swinton, will meet three times in the regular season — home and away and also as part of the Summer Bash at Blackpool in which each Championship side will play an extra game over the Bank Holiday weekend of May 28 and 29.

Oldham will play Swinton on the Sunday, kicking off at 3pm.

Sky Sports will screen selected Championship matches, while all six Summer Bash games will be available to watch across Sky Sports platforms.

“You wouldn’t believe how much we are looking forward to playing in the Championship, but it’s going to be a whole new ball game from anything we’ve experienced before,” said club captain Lewis Palfrey.

Oldham will play a minimum of 31 games — more than in any of the last seven seasons — plus more still if they proceed beyond round four in the Challenge Cup.

Interestingly, they play four away games in a row in May and June plus the Summer Bash fixture at Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road Stadium, which means they won’t play at home from May 15-June 26.


Oldham RLFC fixtures in the Kingstone Press Championship 2016

(kick-off 3pm unless stated)



FEBRUARY

7 London Broncos H

14 Leigh Centurions A

21 Dewsbury Rams H

28 Featherstone Rovers A



MARCH

6 Bradford Bulls H

13 Workington Town A

25 Halifax (ko TBC) H

28 Swinton Lions (ko TBC) A



APRIL

3 Batley Bulldogs H

10 Sheffield Eagles H

23 Whitehaven (6.30) A



MAY

1 Featherstone Rovers H

15 Leigh Centurions H

22 Halifax A

29 Summer Bash (v Swinton Lions, at Bloomfield Road)



JUNE

5 Batley Bulldogs A

12 Dewsbury Rams A

19 London Broncos A

26 Whitehaven H



JULY

3 Sheffield Eagles A

10 Swinton Lions H

17 Bradford Bulls A

24 Workington Town H