AFTER FOUR games and only one win in the Kingstone Press Championship, the mood in the Oldham camp is positive and upbeat.
Two of their three defeats have been against full-time professional opponents in London Broncos and Leigh Centurions.
Dewsbury Rams were sent packing 38-16 at Bower Fold and, although Scott Naylor’s men went down 20-6 at Featherstone last time out, the score did not reflect the Roughyeds’ contribution to a fine game.
“I can see how they beat Dewsbury,” commented Rovers boss Jon Sharp. “I knew they were a good team from DVD viewings and we had to play really well to beat them. They’ll surprise a few teams I think.”
Next up are league leaders Bradford Bulls, another full-time outfit who remain the only unbeaten side in the Championship after coming back from 32-4 down against Leigh at home to draw 32-32 in an astonishing fightback.
Bulls come to Bower Fold, Stalybridge on Sunday (March 6), bringing with them an army of fans who are expected to provide Roughyeds with one of their best attendances of the season.
The game will also provide a little bit of local rugby league history in that it will be the first time the teams have met in league competition since the birth of Oldham RLFC (1997) Ltd.
Roughyeds, meanwhile, have compensated for the loss of Craig Briscoe for the season with a serious knee injury by signing former Rochdale and North Wales Crusaders forward Gary Middlehurst to the end of the season.
He had a couple of seasons at Rochdale before becoming a mainstay of the North Wales Crusaders side that narrowly pipped Oldham to the automatic promotion spot from League One in 2013; finished higher than Rochdale, Swinton and Barrow in the 2014 Championship campaign; and then won the 2015 iPro Sport Cup with the 14-8 defeat of Swinton Lions in the final at Blackpool on Summer Bash weekend.
In his three seasons at Wrexham, Middlehurst scored 24 tries in 62 appearances. In 2013 he was the club’s only ever-present and his haul of 16 tries placed him second in his club’s try-scoring list to winger Rob Massam on 25.
It says much about his work ethic and his regard for his team mates that he was voted players’ player of the year in both 2013 and 2014.
Aged 32, but claiming: “People reckon I look no more than 25”, Middlehurst is contracted to the club to November 30. He has recently returned from long-distance travelling with his wife Kelly, so it will take him some little time to get in shape for his first game as a Roughyed.
He added: “I’m naturally fit, so it won’t take me long. In fact, I lost a bit of weight while we were on our travels.
“I’m looking forward to a new challenge, a new club and a new set of lads. I used to watch Scott when he was a player and now he’s going to be coaching me. I’m looking forward to that as well.
“At 32, some people might say I am getting on a bit, but I feel as good as ever and I reckon I’ve a good two years left in me yet.”
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