Try machine Ward is wagering on success

HARD TO STOP . . . Oldham's Michael Ward (left) is a danger when close to the line

MICHAEL Ward believes that, at the very least, Oldham can go to Bradford on Sunday, put up a good show and give the Bulls a good run for their money.

On the back of home defeats by Sheffield, Dewsbury and Halifax and a 20-0 hammering at Featherstone on the last day of the regular Championship season, they were devastated to miss out on qualification for the Middle 8s and a chance to regain their Super League status.

They might have all the trappings of a 'big' club, but they're embroiled in financial difficulties and face major decisions on the future direction of the club after losing out to Wakefield Wildcats in last year's Million Pound game and not even getting close this year after a fifth-place finish in the Championship behind Leigh, London, Batley and Featherstone.

DEMOLISHED

Nevertheless, they won 48-4 at Bower Fold on a Wednesday night in June and followed up with a 44-12 defeat of Roughyeds at The Provident Stadium (Odsal) five weeks ago.

And although they were guaranteed a top-four spot in the Shield it didn't prevent them winning 46-18 at Whitehaven in round one and demolishing Halifax 44-22 at home in round two.

At face value everything points to another comfortable Bradford win on Sunday, but Ward says Oldham are in the mood to give the full-timers a much sterner test than they did in the two regular season games.

"Each of those games was a bad day at the office for us," said the Oldham prop, who is itching to get back into action again after missing the wins against Workington and Swinton because of a two-match RFL ban.

"We had a few injury problems when we played them at home in midweek and only three days after a tough clash at Dewsbury.

"At their place we were only six points down at half-time, but they scored an 'easy' try straight after half time and then got on a roll.

"It wasn't our best defensive performance of the season but if we get that right, like the lads did at Swinton last week, we can show them we have a lot more to offer than that."

With five Shield games to go to the end of the season (and at least one more in the play-off if they were to finish outside the bottom four), Ward is targeting more tries to finish with a bigger haul than winger Jamel Chisholm.

Chisholm leads with 10 - two more than Adam Clay, Danny Langtree and Ward.

For a prop to score as many as Ward (18 including last season and this one) is remarkable.

And how's this for confidence? Ward had a wager with Chisholm at the start of the season that he would score more tries.

Explained the prop: "Jamel asked me how many I scored last year. When I told him 10, he said: 'I'll walk it'.

"I couldn't resist the challenge so we had a wager. He's two up on me at present, but there's a way to go yet."

In coach Scott Naylor's first season in charge, 2013, Ward failed to score in 20 appearances. Since then, he has touched down 25 times in 76 games.

He added: "We don't have a plan for me to score tries, but I know I'm difficult to stop close to the line. It's all about taking opportunities."

Having missed only five games in the last three seasons, Ward found it "weird" to be sitting out the last two games when he wasn't injured.

But, if selected, he hopes to make up for lost time in the remaining games, starting at Bradford on Sunday when he will do what he does before every game . . . set himself a challenge to be one of the top five players on the pitch.