'Great news' as Spencer pens new deal

Oldham RL have announced the signing - for a fourth season - of one of the club's most experienced forwards in former Barrow and Halifax prop Jack Spencer.

Spencer, aged 27, has also played at a highly-competitive standard in both Australia and France.

He has signed a new one-year deal to take him into a fourth season in the Roughyeds jersey, having played in the two Championship years of 2016 and 2017 and then last season in Betfred League 1.

He made his Oldham debut against London Broncos on February 7, 2016 and went on to make 20 appearances that season, 12 of them in the Championship and more in the end-of-season Shield tournament.

In his second season with the club, 2017, he played 24 times, again including Shield outings.

In the season just ended he figured in all but four of the Roughyeds 30 games in all competitions, giving him a total number of 70 Oldham games to date.

In most of them he has been at prop, but he is no stranger either to second-row or loose.

For three seasons before Jack's arrival at the club, his dad Lee - better known as 'Spanner' - Spencer was head coach Scott Naylor's right-hand man.

'Spanner' continued as a key member of the backroom team after Jack became an Oldham player, but he eventually left the club and left the sport although he is frequently a spectator at Roughyeds' home games.

Said head coach Naylor: "Jack is one of our most experienced lads and, having lost Danny Langtree, it was important we kept people like Jack for a number of reasons.

"Having his dad working here on the coaching staff for several years meant that he knows this place and this club inside out and back to front.

"He's been a top lad for us since the day he first walked through the doors and I can't stress too much how vital it is to have his experience, not just in a game situation but also on the training pitch and in the dressing room.

"It's great news that he is staying."

Spencer becomes the fourth player to sign a new contract for next year, following scrum-half Dave Hewitt, prop Luke Nelmes and utility back Danny Grimshaw.

He said: "I'm very happy to sign again.

"Last season has to be classed as a disappointing one, but with the squad we are building for 2019 I'm sure we'll be set-up strongly enough to reach our goal of promotion next time.

"The desire to help Oldham to get back to the Championship, where I believe the club truly belongs, was one of the man factors in my wish to stay at the club."

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