FIGHTING to avoid relegation from the Betfred Championship, second-bottom Oldham made three signings before transfer deadline headed by play-anywhere back Lloyd Roby from Widnes Vikings.
Roby, 22, who initially joins the Roughyeds on a two-week loan, has been joined by two Saddleworth players.
Oldham signed Huddersfield Giants and Lancashire academy prop Fenton Rogers on loan and taken 20-year-old half-back or hooker Brad Jinks, formerly of Castleford Tigers, from Waterhead Warriors on trial.
Former Saddleworth Rangers’ junior Rogers, son of former Oldham, Rochdale and Swinton prop Wes, had quite a week, celebrating his 18th birthday, playing for Lancashire academy and now joining his home-town club on loan on the strongest recommendation of Giants head coach Ian Watson.
Meanwhile, Oldham halted a run of 10 straight Championship defeats with a 22-22 draw at Swinton Lions in the clash of the bottom two.
They remain four points adrift of safety with only six matches left.
However, there has been a noticeable improvement since legendary coach Brian McDermott was appointed in a consultancy capacity after the sacking of Matt Diskin.
After a heavy defeat to Bradford Bulls in McDermott’s first game in charge, Oldham lost by only 10 points to full-time outfit London Broncos and by four points at Whitehaven.
It will still take a Herculean effort for Oldham to finish clear of the bottom two as their fixtures for the remainder of August are far from easy.
They are at mid-table Sheffield Eagles on Sunday (Aug 15) and that is followed by a home game against Toulouse Olympic (Aug 22) who have won all 11 league games and home to second-placed Featherstone Rovers (Aug 29).
It is a tough sequence of games, but it is rapidly approaching the point of no return for Oldham who must start posting wins if they are to stay up.
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