Top try scorer Cian Tyrer scored his third hat-trick of the season as Oldham returned to Boundary Park with a 30-6 win over Hunslet to stay top of Betfred League 1.
The Roughyeds winger danced his way to 23 tries for the season - more than any player in League 1, Super League or the Championship - in what head coach Sean Long called a “good team performance”, as Oldham powered to victory in their first home match in eight weeks.
The day also saw the club pay a special tribute to Veterans on Armed Forces Day.
Long kept the same starting side who earned victory in Workington seven days ago, with Josh Johnson coming in for the injured Joe Wardle in the only change on the bench.
Oldham started like a train, with livewire full-back Phoenix Laulu Togaga’e jinking through for a fine individual try early on, Tyrer converting for a 6-0 lead. Tyrer grabbed his first moments later after Matty Wildie’s clever kick forced a Hunslet drop-out and Danny Craven sent Tyrer in for a 10-0 lead.
The visitors had their best spell of the game after that, but had to wait until after half-time for their first points when a concerted spell of pressure on the Oldham line eventually saw Joe Law cross on the last tackle, George Flanagan converting to reduce the deficit to 10-6. Craven was adamant there was a knock-on in the try and was sent to the sin bin for his protestations as Long’s men were forced to play the next ten minutes a man light.
But that seemed to galvanise Oldham, who extended their lead while a man down, replacement hooker Bailey Aldridge pouncing on a loose ball after Logan Astley’s kick ricocheted into the in-goal area. Tyrer converted for a 16-6 lead.
Tyrer then grabbed his second try from a smart flick-pass from the excellent George Hirst, Astley added another as he touched down his own kick through, and Tyrer completed his hat-trick late on to finally put the game to bed.
“It was a good physical battle, just what we needed and we didn’t expect anything less from Hunslet,” Long told Roughyeds TV.
“I was really pleased with our defence - going down to 12 men we had to defend our line for about an eight-minute onslaught and we ended up scoring a couple of tries so it was a good team performance.
“We simplified it with a bit of game managament, Wildie and Logan took over and we took our chances. The second half we played well and it was a good test for us.
“We have worked a lot on not dropping our bundle or kick stones when things dont go our way, they did that really well today. The reaction to the sin-binning saw the lads stick together.
“George Hirst was really good, he emptied his tank. Ben O’Keefe was good and Logan really good too. I can’t fault the forwards either who laid the platform for us.”
Off the pitch there was more to celebrate too as the club’s fast-expanding TV channel Roughyeds TV raced past 1000 subscribers, with fans now benefiting from exclusive behind-the-scenes content and player interviews alongside match highlights and full game coverage on the completely free service.
Oldham are ahead of Keighley at the top of League 1 on points difference, and now have a week off before the games come thick and fast, with six home games of the season to go.
Oldham: Laulu-Togaga’e, Johnson, Roebuck, O’Keefe, Tyrer, Craven, Astley, Farnworth, Wildie, Chapelhow, Hirst, Taylor, Moran.
Subs: Aldridge, Johnson, T.Chapelhow, Kopczak
Hunslet: Watson, Scurr, Ferreira, Law, Goddard, Flanagan, Beharrell, Hallas, Whitmore, Fletcher, Jordan-Roberts, Levy, Knowles.
Subs: Berry, O’Hanlon, Syme, Coventry.
Scorers:
Oldham:
Tries: Laulu Togaga’e, Tyrer 3, Aldridge, Astley,
Goals: Tyrer 3
Hunslet:
Tries: Law
Goals: Flanagan
