SEAN Slater has had two things to celebrate this week . . . his 21st birthday and a new Roughyeds contract that will keep him at Oldham for at least another season.
The former Huddersfield Giants youngster, captain of the Academy side and a one-time member of the England Academy squad, under Paul Sculthorpe, was born in Oldham even though he has lived in Huddersfield with his Dad for many years and played his junior rugby at Moldgreen.
He becomes the third member of last season’s squad to sign a new deal to stay, following Emmerson Whittel and Joe Hartley.
He was unlucky last season to be injured in a pre-season game at Keighley when he damaged a ligament in his right knee and missed much of the season before he was ready to return.
He said:
“I was gutted to be out so long and I can’t wait for the start of pre-season training again to make a fresh start and, hopefully, to enjoy an injury-free 2023 with lots of game-time opportunities.
“My long-term ambition is still to get back into Super League, but I’m hoping one more year at Oldham will be good for the club and good for me.
“I was born in Oldham and my Mum and lots of my family still live there, so it means a lot to me to play for Roughyeds.”
Head coach Stu Littler said:
“He’s an Oldham boy and his heart is definitely in the club. His family are ‘belongers’ too, if you know what I mean by that.
“Last season was his first experience of playing against men and didn’t he do well ?
“He’s done a lot of specialist and extra work with Shez and his confidence grew in the latter part of the season once he was properly over his knee injury.
“He’s lively and exciting from dummy half and at the back end of the year he proved he had the ability to come off the bench and change a game, no more so than at Cornwall where he ultimately got a red card and was banned for two games.
“Before that, he ran the game when he came on and both Shez and I are excited at the prospect of working with him again.”
