Rams lay ruin to Roughyeds

ON THE RUN . . . Oldham's Adam Clay attempts to scoot beyond the Rams defence

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DEWSBURY Rams perhaps gained inspiration from the stirring music that accompanied their entry into the Tetley's Stadium ­- the theme song from that epic film of more than 60 years ago about the US Cavalry, 'She Wore A Yellow Ribbon'.

Back then, in Hollywood's golden years, no one could quite lead an attack against the Sioux or the Apache like that legend of the big screen, John Wayne.

All these years later, on a hilltop outside Dewsbury, Rams second-row man Scott Hale led the home side's cavalry charge in his 100th appearance for the club ­- and any pre-match ideas Roughyeds had about picking up their first away scalp in the Championship were quickly ambushed.

A new-look Oldham cast, featuring three dual-reg Huddersfield Giants teenagers in the backs and two on-loan Leigh men in the front-row, took a seven-try pasting from a bigger, stronger and more experienced home side, marshalled magnificently by stand-off and former Super League star Paul Sykes.

With Andy Kain playing a key supporting role, Sykes made Rams tick, dictated tactics, kicked Roughyeds to death and made the big decisions behind a front six that would never force Oldham's forwards into submission, but certainly bullied them until they were out on their feet.

For good measure Sykes also landed nine goals from nine attempts ­- seven conversions and two penalties ­- in a goalkicking master-class that won him the game's 'star man' prize.

Big men like Matt Groat, Hale and Ryan Hepworth got Rams trundling forward up the middle, after which the backs would come into play with centre Jason Crookes proving a constant menace and Etu Uaisele coming off the bench to add a new dimension, first on the wing and later in the centre.

Looking but a shadow of the side that performed so creditably until a few weeks ago, Roughyeds looked drained of energy, low on confidence and lacking in self-belief.

The way the Rams forwards broke over the gain line constantly and then executed rapid play-the-ball was an easy reminder of how Oldham's front-rowers played on the front foot when they were beating the likes of Dewsbury, Batley, Sheffield and Featherstome at Bower Fold earlier in the season.

Then, in the space of five weeks, they went hammer and tongues with six strong sides ­- four of them full-time in Sheffield, Hull KR, Warrington and Leigh. Toss in Whitehaven away and Featherstone at home and you have there a programme of fixtures to test the best the Championship can offer.

Fatigue, injuries and the ever-increasing levels of frustration and disappointment that inevitably accompany a losing run have combined to hit the dressing room hard.

In an attempt to freshen-up, Naylor introduced a new dual-reg youngster at full-back, 18-year-old Darnell McIntosh, started with new recruit Lewis Foster at hooker and brought back Jamel Chisholm after injury on the bench.

You had to feel sorry for young McIntosh, whose two early errors in a nervous start led directly to the first two tries of the game by Dalton and Speakman.

Sykes then landed two penalties, either side of a try by Croookes, which gave Rams the luxury of a 22-0 half-time lead, boosted to 28-0 within a few minutes of the re-start when Uaisele went round and through Roper, Middlehurst, Wood and McIntosh to add a try which Sykes improved.

Oldham finally got on the score sheet when prop Joe Burke crashed over from short range after good work by Owen. However, before Roughyeds got one more try in the closing minutes by Chisholm, after a defence-splitting kick by Middlehurst, Rams had scored three times by Spicer, Kain and Morton, all of them improved.

Oldham were hammered on penalties 16-9, at one time trailing 16-5, this proving a killer in providing Rams with all the ball in the right areas of the pitch.

Referee Joe Cobb eventually handed Oldham a team warning and then sin-binned Owen for a high tackle ­- no yellow ribbon on this occasion, but a yellow card.

It was around this time that Steve Roper hobbled off with a calf injury; Danny Grimshaw suffered a broken nose; and Sam Wood was desperately unlucky to see a conversion off the touchline ruled out by the touchjudges when it seemed to pass just inside the post.

Haven't we seen that before somewhere ?