Roughyeds put through their paces at Farmer Strong

Stuart Littler’s Oldham squad have once again been taken out of their comfort zone after a gruelling session at Farmer Strong with bronze medalist wrestler Charlie Bowling.

The club’s preparations for the upcoming Betfred League One season continue with just two weeks to go until their first warm-up game against Widnes Vikings on January 22.

The training took place at Farmer Strong in Westhoughton, which is owned and run by Charlie who won a bronze medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

During the session the lads undertook a range of activities including lifting 130kg sand bags and running with huge tyres, as well as work on assault bikes and rowing machines.

Head coach Littler was delighted with the session, which also gave him food for thought in deciding on leadership roles within the squad.

Said Littler: “The boys were very connected and there was high energy through the session.

“I’m really happy with how it went; it was good to see who stood up and who showed leadership qualities when things got tough.

“We’ll be assessing those leadership qualities; identifying who stood up; pushed themselves through and also took others through with them and helped others to be better.

“It’s the second year we’ve been. He [Charlie Bowling] builds the team spirit within the group and gets the lads working together.

“It was a very tough session, tougher than last year to be fair, and all the boys stood up to be counted.

“Big thanks to Charlie and his staff from all of us at Oldham, he was amazing again.”

Farmer Strong was born out of lockdown - after Charlie’s training came to a standstill when all gym and indoor group activities were halted - and offers unique outdoor workout sessions.

The session, which formed an important part of the club’s pre-season training, was funded by Yeds Supporters Group.

Said Jamie Hollingworth and Dave Thomas of Yeds: “This is the second year running we have helped fund costs of this pre-season training initiative.

“We wanted to show our support again for the club by being consistent and providing funds where we can from our members.

“We would like to thank all Yeds Supporters Group members for their continued membership, as it enables us to continue to support the club in making steady improvements both on and off the field.

“We hope this helps kick the lads on and into a good season and we wish all of them good luck.”

For more information on joining the Yeds Supporters Group and the benefits of being a member, please visit: www.yedsosg.co.uk

Tickets for the Widnes Vikings fixture, to be played at the Vestacare Stadium, are available now and can be purchased on Roughyeds' ticketing page here

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