Roughyeds ready to play for pride

Oldham V Whitehaven. Oldham celebrate winning as they now stay up (l-r) Liam Thompson and coach Scott Naylor.

FOR only the third time in nine years Oldham RL fans can watch the last game of the season at Dewsbury on Sunday while cool, calm and collected and free of big-match nerves.

According to social media, supporters still on a high from last week's crucial win against Whitehaven, plan to turn up at the Tetley's Stadium in party mood and wearing Hawaiian holiday shirts.

There was nothing to get worked-up about when the curtain dropped on the 2011 and 2012 campaigns, but it was squeaky-bum time in the Grand Final defeats of 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014.

Then the 2015 season ended with a promotion-clinching 31-20 win against Keighley - one of the most celebrated days in the history of Oldham RLFC (1997) Ltd.

In stark contrast, Roughyeds have little to play for on Sunday other than professional pride and an opportunity to leapfrog Swinton in the table should the Lions slip up at Whitehaven.

Said coach Scott Naylor: "No, there isn't much in it for us, but our fans will be turning up to celebrate our achievement in staying up and we owe it to them to be proud, professional and to give of our best.

"The game means a lot to Dewsbury, who need at least a draw to hang on to fourth play-off spot if Swinton win in Cumbria."

The Rams will be back on home soil for the first time since that dreadful 56-12 defeat by Whitehaven which caused eyebrows to be raised around the division, nowhere more than in the Roughyeds camp.

Booed off the pitch and with coach Glenn Morrison feeling the wrath of fans, Rams promised a positive reaction and in the next game they won 38-22 at Sheffield - a pointer to another big effort on Sunday.

Whitehaven, meanwhile, will be keen to climb above Workington in case there's a reprieve for one of them in the fall-out from the current crisis surrounding Sheffield Eagles.