IF Patrick Ah Van and Jordan Paga get over the try line against Cornwall at the Vestacare Stadium on Sunday (1pm kick-off) Oldham fans can reserve a special cheer for each player.
Patrick, our big Auckland-born winger and former Super League and international star, needs only one try to reach a career total of 150 — a milestone that will mean a lot to him and isn’t reached by many players, even those with a reputation for scoring tries.
Jordan, currently starring for us at scrum-half, is our leading try scorer with eight in five games overall, seven of which have been scored in the league to place him joint third in the league try-scoring list with Workington winger Sean Sabutey and Doncaster second-rower Sam Smeaton.
Owen Restall (remember him?) tops the list with nine for Dewsbury Rams, one more than his Rams teammate Perry Whiteley.
The 21-year-old Paga, sponsored by Dale Projects, is breathing down their necks, however, and he has certainly proved his worth at half-back following Lewis Sheridan’s long-term injury sustained so early in the season.
With a Roughyeds’ Heritage number of 1472, he says full-back, half-back and hooker are his best and favourite positions, but the way he’s playing right now he looks more than capable of turning out anywhere in the back line.
What else do we know of him? Well, he’s a big pal and close neighbour in Huddersfield of Kian Morgan and he once captained England Colleges from half-back in the days when he was in the Halifax Elite Rugby Squad under coaches Lee and Gareth Greenwood — a pathway into the pro game for so many Yorkshire youngsters. He’s played at amateur level for Moldgreen and for Almondbury Spartans in the Yorkshire Men’s League and at pro level for Huddersfield Giants (Academy and Reserves), Coventry Bears and Hunslet, from whom he signed for Oldham.
Already a big favourite of the Oldham faithful, he’s immensely proud of his Yorkshire roots. He gets his surname from his Polish great grandfather who came to England and settled in Huddersfield many years ago. Three or four generations later, Jordan regards himself very much as a Yorkshire lad. It was where he was born and brought up and, until he came this side of the border to team up with his mate Kian here at Oldham, it was the place where he has played all his rugby league.
So don’t forget. If he does score on Sunday he deserves a special cheer, as does Patrick, who is doing a lot more than scoring tries and is often used by coach Stu Littler as a powerful forward, either to make the hard yards in attack or to help out the big men up front by clearing defensive lines. Often these days he’s been switched from wing to the pack during games, but wherever he plays the popular Patrick can be relied upon to deliver his best.
At the age of 35, and sponsored by John and Lynda McAndrew, his Heritage number is 1471, appropriately one digit light on Paga’s number, and he has the distinction of having represented Samoa at senior level and various New Zealand rep sides, including the under-16s, the captaincy of the famous Junior Kiwis and New Zealand Residents. In 2006, he was named in the full New Zealand Test side train-on squad, but he had to withdraw due to injury.
Of Samoan and Chinese descent, he numbers New Zealand Warriors, Bradford Bulls and Widnes Vikings among his previous clubs, but he will never forget, when it finally happens, the day he scored his 150th career try for Oldham. Could it be this Sunday ? If so, it will be a moment to savour — for him, for Roughyeds supporters, and for the Oldham club.
Admission prices to the game, at the Vestacare Stadium on Sunday (1pm), are £16 adults, £10 concessions (65 and over), £5 students and FREE for under-16s. Tickets can be purchased at our ticket page.
