Tough Roughyeds scrap for everything at Leigh

Photo: Dave Murgatroyd

TAKING UP THE ATTACK: Oldham prop Jack Spencer embarks on a forward run at Leigh.

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LEIGH 48, OLDHAM 18

FOR the second time in eight days, Oldham found themselves fighting for the working man on millionaires’ row.

They didn’t win but, like the first time, they did more than enough to retain the support and respect of their loyal fans, who applauded them off the LSV pitch with unqualified fervour and appreciation.

Supporters hope the effort Roughyeds have put into their 22-0 home defeat by London Broncos and this 48-18 loss at Leigh Centurions (big-spending, full-time operations whose budgets are at a level Oldham can only dream about) will prove beneficial when they meet fellow part-timers Dewsbury Rams at Bower Fold next Sunday.

In a Championship comprising two clearly defined sub-divisions of haves and have nots, the Dewsbury game will be the best guide yet to Oldham’s credentials in this company.

Leigh are in a different league. Of the 17 who faced Scott Naylor’s lads, eight had either international

honours or had played extensively in the NRL, widely recognised as this sport’s No 1 brand.

When they lost full-back Gregg McNally to long-term injury they wasted no time in pulling out the cheque book to sign former Leeds Rhinos and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats star Lee Smith, who made a try-scoring debut here. He lined up with several players close to Super League standard.

Oldham had to do it the hard way. New signings Craig Briscoe and Danny Grimshaw were out injured and for the second game running there were no reinforcements from Huddersfield. When Steve Roper and Liam Thompson went off injured before half time, Sammy Gee became an emergency prop and Gareth Owen filled in for Roper at half-back. And there was the additional handicap of having only two subs available on the bench for more than half the game.

Despite that, Roughyeds never let their heads drop, scored three good tries, and finished the stronger side. to reduce the margin of defeat from 42 points to 30 with late tries by Adam Clay and Lewis Palfrey.

Leigh scored first with a Jonathan Pownall try in the corner, but Oldham took the game to the home side early on and were rewarded when centre Tom Ashton crashed over in the corner after Gareth Owen’s use of the narrow short-side from dummy half.

Ashton had a lot to do to score as the cover converged, but he did his job well — as he did also in giving his winger Clay just enough room to score in the corner at the other end in the game’s later stages.

Palfrey and Richard Lepori moved the ball left to right and Ashton cleverly timed his final pass to perfection for Clay to squeeze in.

Both these tries were every bit as good as anything Leigh produced, the third and final one coming when Phil Joy drove hard for the line. The ball bounced backwards in the tackle and Palfrey was on hand to pick up and dive over.

Oldham trailed 20-6 at half-time, but 14-6 would have been a more appropriate representation of the first 40 minutes. They lost their way early in the second half when their completion rate dropped and they conceded three quick penalties in a row.

Leigh’s forwards got up a head of steam on the back of that and once they got a roll on Oldham couldn’t keep them out from close range, especially Sam Hopkins, who crashed over for a hat-trick before Moimoi and Maitua added further tries.

Trailing 48-6 with 20 minutes to go, Oldham could easily have capitulated. But Naylor’s men are made of sterner stuff and their brave efforts to make the score more respectable and to improve for-and-against figures were duly rewarded.