Long-serving Hughes follows Reid to North Wales

Former Oldham hooker Kenny Hughes

The Roughyeds' career of long-serving Kenny Hughes, one of the club's three hookers, has come to an end.

A close friend of his Oldham RL team mate and one-time fellow St Helens junior Danny Langtree, who is moving on to Super League club Hull FC, Hughes has signed a one-year deal with North Wales Crusaders.

He becomes the Crusaders' second capture from the Vestacare Stadium, following that of centre Matt Reid.

Like 'Langers', Hughes has spent eight years at Oldham, the first two of them in the highly-successful Roughyeds reserve team of 2011 and 2012.

He made his senior debut against Rochdale Hornets in March, 2013, shortly after the arrival at the club of Scott Naylor as head coach

He went on to become a key member of the Roughyeds' pack, scoring 29 tries in 138 appearances despite spending most of his time at the club in a triumvirate of dummy-half men, formed initially by Adam Files, Gareth Owen and Hughes and, more recently, by club captain Owen, Hughes and Matty Wilkinson.

Significantly, perhaps, 28-year-old Hughes made only 15 appearances out of a possible 30 last season, compared with Owen's 24 and 22-year-old Wilkinson's 25.

Three members of last year's squad have now moved on (Langtree, Reid, Hughes) and three have signed, namely half-back Dave Hewitt, prop Luke Nelmes, both of whom were here last season, and utility back Danny Grimshaw, who was at Oldham  in 2016 and 2017 and is coming back after a year at Hunslet.

The club's 2018 Awards Night at the Vestacare Stadium on Friday, November 9 (7.30 start) will be attended by most of last season's players and backroom staff, including those who are moving on.

It will be a fun night and a close-season opportunity for fans to get out their replica shirts and meet the players in a casual, relaxed atmosphere at the refurbished and extremely convivial Vestacare social club.

Tickets cost £12.50, including pie-and-mash supper (vegetarian option), and they can be purchased online via the Roughyeds' website or by ringing Anne Kearns on 07811 988 426.

"Supporters love to get together with the lads they cheer for every Sunday of the season and what better chance than this," said Anne, who is working hard to make this an Oldham Rugby night to remember.

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