ROUGHYEDS wish everyone to know that the club is currently working with Rochdale Hornets, our friends and derby rivals, to finalise arrangements for the Hornets-Oldham play-off match at the Crown Oil Arena this coming week-end.
Hornets must also have talks with the Stadium Company and as soon as we have confirmed and official information we will let fans know via this website, our social media channels, and local media outlets.
Hornets were yesterday beaten 56-24 at home by champions Keighley Cougars, who go up to the Championship automatically.
The five teams in the play-offs, finishing in this order, are Swinton Lions, North Wales Crusaders, Doncaster, Rochdale Hornets and Oldham.
This weekend, Hornets entertain Oldham in the Elimination play-off, while North Wales Crusaders will be at home to Doncaster in the Qualifying play-off.
Swinton get a weekend off as their prize for finishing second to Keighley and top of the play-off group of five.
Hornets did the double over us in the regular league programme, winning 34-18 at their place on Good Friday and 50-24 at the Vestacare Stadium in July.
Both games, though, could have gone very differently.
At Rochdale we led 6-2 after half an hour and looked to be getting on top. It was only when coach Matt Calland, who is no longer at the club, introduced veteran forwards Sean Penkywicz, Fui Fui Moi Moi and Joe Taira that Hornets got on top.
Between them, they completely changed the game as Hornets totally dominated the second-half to win comfortably after a 12-12 interval scoreline.
At home in Oldham, we led 24-6 at half-time and looked to be coasting home, but Hornets again smashed us in the second half to pile up 44 unanswered points with Penkywicz and another veteran. Rangi Chase, doing the damage.
Chase scored three tries overall and starred in the second half.
Hornets finished only one place above us in the league, but with five more wins.
In recent weeks there has been a big turnover of personnel at the Crown Oil Arena and if we can repeat the form we displayed against Hunslet it should be an intriguing contest.
Do we owe them one — or is it two ?
Commenting on the Hunslet game, coach Stu Littler revealed that our set completion rate in the second half was 94 per cent and that we didn’t concede a single penalty.
He added:
“I’m proud of this group. During the season we’ve had 12 professional debuts– that’s not debuts for Oldham; its players who have come out of the amateur game to play at our level for the first time.
“I always knew we would get better as the season wore on and that’s what’s happening.”
Giving the players’ point of view on reaching the play-offs, Emmerson Whittel said:
“It’s been a tough year. We know that. But we set ourselves a target of play-off qualification at the start and it’s nice to get there.
“It’s good, too, that we’ve given our terrific fans something to cheer about. They’ve stuck with us and on behalf of all the players I would like to thank them for that and to tell them how much we all appreciate their backing and their loyalty.”
Chairman Chris Hamilton, speaking in hospitality after the Hunslet game, said:
“It was a terrific game – a play-off game before the play-offs if you get what I mean.”
He heaped praise on Whittel, who played a blinder despite fighting back from a painful rib injury sustained at Swinton.
