OUR ongoing drive to attract more young supporters this season continues on Sunday when all under-16s go free to the Oldham v West Wales Raiders game at the Vestacare Stadium, kick-off 3pm.
Hundreds of fans who watched our 28-4 win against Keighley Cougars in our last home game and received half-price vouchers for the West Wales game are reminded to bring them on Sunday and present them at the turnstiles.
We followed up the Keighley win with a superb performance in a 26-16 win at Workington in which our new centre Cameron Leeming made his debut and gave a good performance on the left side where he formed a physically big and strong threesome with second-row man Danny Bridge and winger Harry Maders.
Leeming will be keen to produce an equally strong game in his first appearance before the Vestacare faithful on Sunday,
And if Zack McComb, Danny Langtree and Harry Aaronson perform as well on the right flank as they did at Borough Park last week fans can expect to be treated to lots of expansive and wing-to-wing football as Roughyeds bid to take another step towards the Betfred League 1 title and automatic promotion.
The weekend could see Scott Naylor’s men go top if London Skolars do us a favour tomorrow (Saturday) by inflicting a third defeat in a row on leaders Whitehaven in the capital and, 24 hours later, Roughyeds do the business against the Wekshmen.
Given that Hunslet have a blank weekend, a win on Sunday will guarantee us a second place status at the very least.
Oldham have played the Raiders three times, winning 102-6 here and 74-0 in Llanelli last season and 72-8 down there in the Principality last April.
Right-centre McComb has scored each time, six in total, and will be out to keep that run going.
Roughyeds currently have a for-and-against points difference of 161 compared with Hunslet’s 188 but they will be looking to go ahead of the Yorkshiremen this weekend with a comprehensive victory.
As ever Scott Naylor is full of respect for the opposition, saying:
“It would be nice to win the game as a priority and put some points on the board as a bonus.
“We will, however, show West Wales just as much respect as we showed Workington Town last week.
“You can’t guarantee anything in rugby league. Three years ago we went to Hull KR in the Challenge Cup as 40-1 on outsiders — and won.
“The fact that Raiders are coming here seeking their first win of the season makes them dangerous opponents and it’s up to us to make sure there isn’t an upset. That apart, we wouldn’t want to go to Whitehaven next week in such an important game having been on the wrong side of a shock defeat only seven days earlier.”
At a time when attendances throughout the game are a big talking point, and especially those in the Championship and League 1, Roughyeds are hoping as many fans as possible will make a special effort to give turnstile operators a busy time, dealing not only with half-price vouchers but also with free admissions for under-16s.
