OLDHAM RLFC is delighted to announce a sixth new signing for 2021 in vastly-experienced forward Shaun Pick, who has previously played for Featherstone Rovers, Toronto Wolfpack, Sheffield Eagles and Batley Bulldogs.
Before he came to Oldham, our head coach Matt Diskin twice tried to sign 27-year-old Pick, who played in 30 of Sheffield’s 31 games in 2018 and shared with Matty Fozard the distinction of playing more games than anybody else for Eagles that year.
Shaun Pick
In 2019, and still at Sheffield, he made another 17 appearances, including his club’s four 1895 Cup victories which saw off Halifax, Doncaster, Batley and Widnes Vikings in the final at Wembley.
“To play at Wembley and win the trophy as underdogs made for an amazing day,”
said Shaun, who was in the Eagles starting line-up at prop, alongside Greg Burns and Brad Knowles in a big, strong front-row.
He has now signed a one-year deal for Roughyeds, having been convinced in separate talks with chairman Chris Hamilton and with coach Matt Diskin that the club is on the way up and is the right place for him to be.
“I know the Oldham dream,” said Shaun, “and I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to this new challenge. This year has been awful. You couldn’t make it up. We’re all itching to get going again.”
Born in Pontefract, he was a junior at Lock Lane before spending six years working his way through the Castleford Tigers development system, prior to joining Huddersfield Giants.
Featherstone Rovers came next, then he was lured to Canada by Toronto Wolfpack’s first coach Paul Rowley and director of rugby Brian Noble, the former Bradford, Wigan and Great Britain coach.
They had watched him playing for Rovers in their 2014 Championship Grand Final defeat by Leigh.
He helped Wolfpack to take League One by storm in their inaugural campaign before he signed for Sheffield and enjoyed two seasons in South Yorkshire with a total of 47 appearances, most of them at prop.
He added:
“I’ve played a lot of my rugby at prop, but I’ve always preferred the second-row and Disco not only understands that but agrees with me that its my best position.
“He’s been interested in me for a while and he wanted to take me to Batley when he was there, but it didn’t happen.
“Funnily enough, I agreed to join him at Oldham while we were in the same coffee shop where we had talked two years ago when he had wanted to sign me for Batley. I did sign eventually for Batley for 2020 but Disco was at Oldham by then.
“Anyway, it’s all come together now and the big thing for me is that Disco sees me as a second-row which suits me down to the ground.”
Diskin said:
“This is a great signing for us. Shaun is a big, athletic lad with lots of experience. He’s talented with a good offload and he’ll be a great addition to the squad.
“He’ll be committed week in and week out and he’ll be pushing for any position in the back-row of the pack.”
He is the club’s sixth new signing as we look ahead to springing a few surprises in 2021, following those of his fellow forwards Luke Nelmes, Martyn Reilly and Tyler Dupree and backs Tommy Brierley and Ben Heaton.
Photo x SWPix
