The standard has been set

GUIDE TO THE 2009-10 LOCAL AMATEUR RUGBY LEAGUE SCENE
WATERHEAD are hopeful that the magic of their Standard Cup win can continue to provide a boost into the coming campaign.

Few neutrals gave the Peach Road side much of a chance when up against favourites Saddleworth Rangers at Boundary Park on Good Friday — only for an inspired effort from coach Mick Slicker’s men to bring the cup back to the club, via a 12-6 triumph.

The result gave the National Conference League division two club a real shot in the arm in the latter stages of a disappointing season.

Still, attendance at training has been below expectations so far — a situation which is reflected right across the amateur game — but the hope is that once the season gets under way, players will gravitate back to the club.

“We expect to hold our own this season,” said club secretary Tony Richmond, who reported that new chairman Pete Beswick has settled into his role well.

“From a training aspect we are not getting the numbers we would like to be doing. It is dribs and drabs at the moment and until the season gets going, we won’t really know where we stand.

“Mick (Slicker) is a bit disappointed he hasn't got the full Standard Cup squad at the moment, but that is partly due to holidays being taken.

“Then, on the weekend of the first game of our season away at Stanley Rangers, our stand-off Terry Fitzgerald is getting married, which will leave us under strength.

“Hopefully from that we can kick on from there and I feel confident about doing that.

“Winning the Standard Cup showed what we are capable of with the young lads we have here so once we get everyone back together at training we should be ok.”

On the fixtures front the dropping out of Hull Isberg from division two will have a negative impact in terms of reducing income in the clubhouse.

“The league is a little depleted now and it only leaves us with 10 guaranteed home games, which isn't good in terms of continuity as much as anything,” Richmond added.




WATERHEAD

September

5 Stanley Rangers

19 Crosfields

26 EGREMONT


October

3 OVENDEN

10 Shaw Cross

17 EASTMOOR DRAGONS

24 East Leeds

31 ECCLES AND SALFORD



November

7 Oldham St Anne's

14 CASTLEFORD LOCK LANE

28 CROSFIELDS



December
12 Egremont

19 Ovenden



January

9 SHAW CROSS

23 Eastmoor



February

13 EAST LEEDS

20 Eccles and Salford

27 OLDHAM ST ANNE'S



March

13 Castleford Lock Lane

20 STANLEY RANGERS

CAPS=HOME



Twin targets

SADDLEWORTH Rangers stand-off Michael Coates has twin targets in his sights this season.

Having got off to a solid start with a 24-10 home win over Dudley Hill in National Conference League division one, Rangers — who many felt underachieved slightly last season, finishing the season in fourth and thus just missing out on promotion — are expected to perform well this year.

Players like Ethan Langhorn, Josh Brown, Steven Kiss, David Orwell and Anthony Morrison have moved up to the senior ranks and scrum-half Adam Kirwan has made a return after a year away in London, meaning head coach Keith Brennan should be left with plenty of options selection-wise.

A top-three finish aside, Coates, the current players’ player of the year whose powerful kicking game will be crucial to Saddleworth’s chances, is hoping for a run in the amateur game’s premier knockout competition too.

“We want promotion which we just missed out on last year, but we also want to to get as far as we can in the National Cup,” said Coates, a former professional with Swinton.

“We reached the quarter-finals last year (losing 16-2 at home to Siddal), and wanted to go that step further but just fell at that hurdle.

“I think we have got the team for it and everything is in place. We just need the players to perform on the pitch.”

A total of 11 defeats in the league last season included four at home before Christmas alone and it is the performances at Shaw Hall Bank Road that Saddleworth, the reigning Rugby Oldham Challenge champions, are keen to improve on.

“We were too inconsistent last season and kept getting beaten at home,” added Coates.

“We would play well away from home against the so-called better sides, then lose on our own ground against sides we wouldn’t expect to.

“We were too up-and-down to achieve anything.

“When we play well, we are a match for anyone but we have had trouble with just not turning up for games and getting done over.

“I think we should be in the premier league. In both the last two seasons we have fallen just short and finished fourth last year, missing out by two points.

“Now we just need to take that next step and get the club up. It is a very difficult division but I think we can do it.”



SADDLEWORTH RANGERS

September

5 MAYFIELD

12 STANNINGLEY

19 Milford

26 THATTO HEATH


October

3 Normanton Knights

10 THORNHILL

17 Castleford Panthers

24 MYTON

31 Millom

November

14 Heworth

21 WEST BOWLING

28 Mayfield



December

5 Stanningley

12 MILFORD

19 Thatto Heath



January

9 NORMANTON

23 Thornhill

30 CAS PANTHERS



February

13 Myton

20 MILLOM



March

6 HEWORTH

13 West Bowling

20 DUDLEY HILL

(CAPS=HOME)



Kay eager to get going

NEW Oldham St Anne’s captain Danny Kay is raring to go again this season.

Veteran Rick Badby’s departure as Saints’ midfield organiser has seen the skipper honours handed on to the 24-year-old, who represented the National Conference Eagles in their summer tour to France.

There, hooker Kay came off the bench as the Eagles — made up of the best players who ply their trade in National Conference League divisions one and two — drew 18-18 with France ‘A’ and lost 16-8 to Morocco.

Last season’s Man of Steel runner-up hopes to draw on that experience in order to arrest the slide of the Higginshaw Road club, who now find themselves in division two following a pair of relegations in three years.

“The tour brought a lot of positives and I have hit training differently to any other season,” said Kay.

“To get back and be made captain with Rick leaving has been very special, especially as I have family history here at the club. It means a lot.

“We lost a lot of players all at once and it was a lot to ask of young players to step into their shoes and try to play at the top level of the amateur game.

“The lads are coming of age now though and it is up to us to nurture them.”

Kay points to a warm-up game away at Wath Brow – the scene of many tense battles between the respective clubs in recent years – as proof that things are looking up for Saints.

A number of promising youngsters from the club’s successful under-18s side are set to take to the field this season under head coach Mick Cashin, who is being helped by Neil Flanagan.

“Things are going well in training and we have enjoyed a good pre-season,” added Kay.

“Now we have to do the business on the pitch.

“We want to finish in the top three and things are looking good. We played (premier division) Wath Brow in a friendly and drew 12-12, despite them only having two players from their first team missing.

“It showed what character we have got. We took a few young lads up there who had stepped up from the under-18s and they really earned their stripes.

“Playing with talented kids brings a bit of desire back to everyone. I really think we have got what it takes this year.”




OLDHAM ST ANNE’S

September

5 EASTMOOR

12 East Leeds

19 ECCLES AND SALFORD

26 Ovenden



October

3 Castleford Lock Lane

10 STANLEY RANGERS

24 CROSFIELDS

31 Egremont



November

7 WATERHEAD

14 Shaw Cross

21 EAST LEEDS

28 Eccles and Salford

December

12 OVENDEN

19 CAS LOCK LANE



January

9 Stanley Rangers



February

13 Crosfields

20 EGREMONT

27 Waterhead



March

13 SHAW CROSS

20 Eastmoor

CAPS=HOME

A £500 prize, put forward by local business merchants Joseph Parr (Alco) Ltd, has again been made available for the top individual performer from within the six sides.

Last season the booty was picked up by Higginshaw’s David Sweeney, following his early-season defection from Oldham St Anne’s, and the man who is now a player-coach will be hopeful of fending off competition from the likes of Saddleworth’s Michael Coates, who won it jointly with club-mate Chris Garforth two seasons ago.

Updates will appear in the Chronicle every Thursday throughout the amateur rugby league section, providing a regular opportunity to keep interested parties up to date with how each of the contenders is faring.

Yet again, the stage is set for a season full of intrigue and excitement as the amateur scene in Oldham continues to flourish.


Changes to NCL’s end of year set-up

THE PROMOTION and relegation system for the National Conference League divisions have been altered this season.

Three teams will be demoted from the premier division, to be replaced by three from division one.

But only two sides will now be relegated from division one, meaning that Oldham St Anne’s and Waterhead have only a pair of promotion slots to challenge for from a division two that is now missing Hull Isberg following their late pullout.

The two-up, two-down system will stay in place next year as well, unless new clubs are admitted to boost numbers ahead of the 2010 season.

Premier division: East Hull, Hull Dockers, Ince Rose Bridge, Leigh East, Leigh Miners, Oulton, Siddal, Skirlaugh, Wath Brow, West Hull, Widnes St Maries, Wigan St Judes, Wigan St Pats, York Acorn.

Division one: Cas Panthers, Dudley Hill, Heworth, Mayfield, Milford, Millom, Myton Warriors, Normanton, SADDLEWORTH, Stanningley, Thatto Heath, Thornhill, West Bowling.

Division two: Cas Lock Lane, Crosfields, East Leeds, Eastmoor, Eccles and Salford, Egremont, OLDHAM ST ANNE’S, Ovenden, Shaw Cross, Stanley Rangers, WATERHEAD.


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