SCOTT Naylor was a contented coach as he looked ahead to the Betfred League 1 play-offs on the back of eight wins from the last nine outings.
Roughyeds have lost only once since beaten 31-0 at Doncaster on June 9 and that was 6-10 in a tight, tense affair at leaders Whitehaven.
After the latest win — a 50-6 triumph away to Coventry Bears — the Oldham boss said: “We must be doing something right. Our performance was very professional and it earned us the right result.
“Coventry are vastly improved from previous seasons and their coach, Tom Tsang, deserves a lot of praise for how he has brought them on.
“They’ve got a few injuries at present and we met them at a good time for us. Their willingness to work hard and with great enthusiasm despite how the game was always going away from them was very commendable.
“We had to play good rugby and from our point of view it was good to see a much-changed team performing at that level.
“We are building up to a huge game at Hunslet next week and then the start of the play-offs so it was good to see the performances of the lads who came into the side and did so well.
“It’s important that we have as many players as possible fully fit and available for the business end of the season.”
Centre Cameron Leeming had his left thigh heavily strapped during the half-time break and he didn’t play at all on the resumption.
Said Naylor:
“It’s not a tear or anything as serious as that. It’s just a tight ‘hammy’ and we are hoping he’ll be okay for next week. I took him off as a precaution, thinking more about Hunslet and then the play-offs rather than the second-half in this one.”
Leeming said:
“My hamstring had been tight all week and it seemed to get a bit worse during the first half. Fingers crossed, I’ll be okay for the Hunslet game.”
Prop Jack Spencer, on duty again after missing the Newcastle and Doncaster games with a back complaint that surfaced during the game at London Skolars on August 3, was just happy to get through without further mishap.
He said:
“With crucial games coming up I needed a bit of game time if I was going to figure in those.
“I’m not 100 per cent, but I’m getting there and this run-out will have served me well in terms of my chances or next week.”
