JIMMY Beckett, the young prop whom Featherstone Rovers last week recalled from his loan spell at Oldham, will not be coming back to the Roughyeds in a hurry.
The up-and-coming 20-year-old originally joined Matt Diskin’s men on a season-long loan but, after 28 days here, Rovers always had the insurance of a call-back clause and they used it last week so he could play for his home-town club in the Coral Challenge Cup win against Hunslet.
Rovers couldn’t use their own loan or dual-registration players in the cup-tie so they got Beckett back and played him off the bench.
Diskin, the Oldham coach, said the club would know more later about Rovers’ immediate plans for Beckett beyond the Challenge Cup victory.
It may be of academic interest only, given that the RFL has now suspended all matches because of the virus crisis, but Rovers coach James Webster has since made it clear that Beckett will be staying where he is for the foreseeable future.
It’s now looking likely that all games will continue to be suspended beyond the RFL’s initial deadline of April 3, but notwithstanding that possibility, Webster is still adamant that Beckett will figure in his plans if matches resume by Easter.
He said: “We’ve got Easter coming up and then Toulouse away (always assuming matches are being played again by then) so we can’t afford to have players out on loan. He’ll be staying with us.
“He’s done alright at Oldham and they were desperate to keep him. He’s done good minutes there and he’s enjoyed the experience , but we need him here now.”
