Rams star Brown relishing reunion

FAMILIAR FACE: Oldham hooker Gareth Owen (pictured) is set to do battle with Dewsbury’s Aaron Brown, his former junior team-mate at Waterhead.

THERE was a time when Aaron Brown, Gareth Owen and Phil Joy – and a certain George Ford – were teenagers and team mates at Waterhead.

“We grew up together at Peach Road from about the age of five or six until our mid-teens,” recalled back-row forward Brown (23), now an influential member of the Dewsbury Rams pack.

Oldham born and bred, and living in Watersheddings, he can’t wait for Sunday and his first game against his home-town team – and his former Peach Road pals, Owen and Joy.

“They’ll want to give me a bit of stick, especially from Owen,” added Brown, who signed for Leeds Rhinos when he was 17 before moving to Dewsbury. He had a big season for the Rams in 2013 when he was a nominee for the championship player of the year award.

Brown has been an integral part of the steady progress Dewsbury have made in the past three years.

They finished sixth last season and are now regarded as one of the stronger of the division’s part-time outfits.

They won narrowly away to Swinton Lions on the opening day of the season and then came good in the second half to finish comfortable winners at home to Workington Town last week.

Big prop Tony Tonks needs no introduction to Oldham fans, while fellow front-rower Matt Groat is another who will provide Roughyeds’ starting front-rowers Joy and Jack Spencer with a severe test.

Stand-outs in the Rams back division are full-back Josh Guzdek, centre Jason Crookes and halves Ben Reynolds and Andy Kain.

Said Brown: “We expect a similar game to the one we had against Swinton. As another promoted team, Oldham will be up for it, full of enthusiasm and out to prove themselves. They’ve a lot of good players. We know it will be tough – very tough.

“It will be a big game for me on a personal note, for obvious reasons. I work in Ashton and a lot of my work mates who don’t normally watch me play will go up the road to Stalybridge to give me a cheer.”

Neil Joy says Sunday’s game at Bower Fold (3pm) will give everyone a clearer picture of Roughyeds’ prospects over the season.

“We think its good our first two games in this division were against full-timers,” he said. “We think we competed well in both games.

“Hopefully, everying we’ve learned will come in useful, starting on Sunday.”