OUR heartiest congratulations are offered to Waterhead Warriors on bringing the BARLA National Cup back to Oldham for the first time since St Anne’s did it 19 years ago.
Fielding a 17 that included five former Oldham RLFC players — Gareth Owen at stand-off, Phil and Andy Joy in the prop positions, Danny Bridge at loose-forward and Harry Maders on the bench — the Warriors smashed Sharlston Rovers 42-0 in Sunday’s final at Featherstone Rovers.
Geographically, it was like a home game for Sharlston, who play in division one of the Yorkshire Men’s League, but the large following from Oldham squared things up on that front — and the lads on the field did the rest!
Danny Bridge won the Tom Keaveney Award as man of the match and tries were scored by Evan Campbell, Mason Young, Gareth Owen, Jenson Hamilton (2), Phil Joy, Martin Sarsfield and Jake O’Grady with Kegan Brennan landing five goals.
Team: Hamilton; Campbell, Dean, Holland, Young; Owen, Brennan; P Joy, Perks, A Joy, Birch, Dunnington-Wallace, Bridge. Subs: Maders, O’Grady, Sarsfield, Lowe.
The Warriors now look forward to Friday’s Standard Cup final at Manor Park (11.45am) in which they will play Saddleworth Rangers.
It’s a big day for local rugby league fans with Roughyeds in a derby clash with Rochdale at the Crown Oil Arena (3pm).
