ROUGHYEDS have announced that winger Tommy Brierley will be out for the season with the serious leg and knee injuries he suffered at the end of March in the opening Betfred League One game against Keighley Cougars at the Vestacare Stadium.
It has since emerged that as well as suffering a broken left leg, he also damaged the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee – and it’s that which is going to rule him out of rugby for the rest of the year.
Said head coach Stu Littler:
“We’ve lost an experienced player with leadership qualities, who will be missed on the training field as well as on game days.
“All our thoughts are with him. We’ll be with him every inch of the way in his rehab and in his long fight for full fitness again.
“Injuries throw up opportunities for others, however, and Liam Copland has replaced Tommy on the right wing and has shown himself to be a stand-out performer, both in training and in matches.
“Liam has taken what we’ve done in training on to the game-day pitch and in the last few games he’s been outstanding.”
Aged 28, Copland is three years older than 25-year-old Brierley, who was at Leeds Rhinos from the age of 14 and later played for Hunslet, York, Coventry and Dewsbury before signing for Roughyeds ahead of the 2021 Championship campaign.
In total, he has scored five tries in 22 appearances for Oldham.
Copland, who will be expected to make his fourth league appearance in a row against new-club Cornwall at the Vestacare Stadium on Sunday (3pm), scored at Hunslet — his previous pro club —and added two more tries in the 100-point demolition of West Wales.
He signed for Roughyeds in January, but only after backing himself by training at the club all last winter and putting himself in Littler’s shop window. He clearly made an impression.
When he signed, Leeds-born Copland said:
“Chris (Hamilton) has promised me two things – first, I will become a better player; second, I will enjoy the Oldham experience.
“He was right on both counts. My love of the game has been rekindled and that’s since I’ve been at Oldham.”
A family man, Copland works for Jet 2 in Leeds on customer relations.
Brierley’s cruel luck means that the Roughyeds squad for the rest of the season, discounting loan players etc, is down to 24 — and, of those, four are currently on the injured list.
Brad Jinks has groin trouble; Calvin Wellington is not well; Jason Muranka is waiting for the all-clear after a long absence with concussion; and young hooker or half-back Sean Slater has a knee injury.
Happily, David Hewitt trained normally last night (Tuesday) and is expected to be available for selection at weekend after a knock on his hip.
Added Littler:
“We are always on the look-out to see if we can add to the squad, but signings have to be cost effective in relation to what the club can afford.”
