Match Preview: Oldham v Toulouse

Oldham welcome former Super League side Toulouse Olympique to Boundary Park this Saturday evening as third plays fourth in a colossal clash in the Betfred Championship.

Sean Long's side bounced back from defeat at Bradford with a hard-fought win at Doncaster and welcome a red-hot Toulouse side seeking a fourth win in a row.

Led by Sylvain Houles and tipped by many as title-challengers, Toulouse love to play entertaining rugby like this stylish Oldham side, so this one could be unmissable.

Team News

Long has seen key centre Iain Thornley ruled out for the season with a devastating ACL injury but welcomes back Jumah Sambou from a seven-match suspension.

Oldham's other starting centre - captain Jordan Turner - misses out with a knee problem, while neither Mo Agoro, Jack Johnson or Elijah Taylor are quite ready to return although Taylor was close.

New signing Eloi Pelissier is included, with the France international hooker in line to make his debut against a club for whom he scored 20 tries in 71 appearances.

Young Wigan wingers Nathan Lowe and Jacob Douglas are with Oldham again on dual registration, as is hooker Tom Forber.

Winger Kieran Dixon and vice captain Matty Wildie remain out long-term, with talisman Josh Drinkwater set to captain the team.

Squad in full: 6. Danny Craven, 7. Riley Dean, 8. Gil Dudson, 10. Owen Farnworth, 11. Matty Ashurst, 13. Adam Milner, 15. Jay Chapelhow, 16. Pat Moran, 18. Jumah Sambou, 19. Ted Chapelhow, 21. Lewis Baxter, 23. Josh Drinkwater, 27. Ben Forster, 30. George Hirst, 31. Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e, 34. Tom Forber, 37. Ryan Lannon, 38. Ben Davies, 00. Nathan Lowe, 00. Jacob Douglas, 00. Eloi Pelissier.

The Opposition

Toulouse are one of the heavyweight teams in the Championship, having been in Super League as recently as 2022.

Coached by long-serving boss Sylvain Houles, Olympique sit third in the table, level on points with 4th placed Oldham but with a game in hand, having won six of their first eight games, losing two.

Those defeats came away at Doncaster and at home to Widnes - two of Oldham's most recent opponents - with wins coming against York, Hunslet, Bradford, Featherstone, Sheffield and Halifax.

Toulouse arrive at Boundary Park in fine form and on an impressive three-match winning run featuring victories away to Featherstone and Sheffield plus last weekend's 32-0 home win over leaders Halifax.

Oldham last beat Toulouse at home in 2017, with the French side taking the three games since.

Star men include Frenchmen Mathieu Jussaume and Paul Marcon, and former Super League players Joe Cator, Joe Bretherton, Jake Shorrocks and Olly-Ashall-Bott.

Match Experience

We are very proud of our Boundary Park matchday experience and are looking forward to bringing this to Saturday evening this week.

On the pitch Sean Long's side are terrific to watch with star full-back Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e dazzling crowds, half-back Josh Drinkwater destroying opponents and new signing Eloi Pelissier looking to show some French flair against his former club Toulouse.

Off the pitch we are bringing the entertainment too - and encourage fans to arrive early to take advantage of activities in Bar 1895 and around the stadium, with street food, drinks and live music before the match.

We are now also delighted to host our Player of the Match in Bar 1895 straight after the game, so make sure you are there to meet Oldham's star player on the day after the hooter.

The entertainment kicks off with live music, before host George Riley takes over at 4pm with the all-important exclusive first read of the big-match team news, plus live interviews, photo opportunities and autographs with the Oldham stars not in the matchday 17.

Our legendary club mascot Roary the Roughyed will also be on hand to meet all our young - and old - Roughyeds fans.

It is the perfect place to meet your friends and family, have a drink before and after the game, listen to live music, watch live sport including Roughyeds footage on the big screens, and gain real insight from the players before and after the game.

Visiting fans are also warmly welcomed.

Tickets

We are strongly encouraging fans to save £4 by purchasing their match tickets in advance. Prices this week are just £17.50 for adults with kids going free. Please note there are no concessions for this fixture.

Our ticket prices rise by £4 if you choose to purchase on the day. This is to help us manage numbers and ensure we have the correct areas open to maximise the fan experience on matchdays, and we appreciate your understanding on this.

Click here to get yours now.

Only the Joe Royle Stand will be open this weekend and we can also confirm that seating is now Unreserved for this fixture (apart from Block D).

Please ignore any specific seat numbers on your ticket for this game.

There are a limited number of our popular VIP Access hospitality tickets in the Broadway Suite still available for this fixture.

This ticket features a pie and peas meal, bar access and free tea and coffee as well as exclusive pre-match interviews with our players, and post-match presentations including Player of the Match. It can be bought as a £15 upgrade.

Please check availability for upcoming fixtures too and book early to avoid disappointment.

Access:

For hospitality - including pie and peas - we request you arrive before 4pm if you are eating.

For Bar 1895 - please note that fans can enter the stadium via Bar 1895, but there is no re-entry to Bar 1895 before kick-off once you are inside the stadium - so relax and enjoy the Bar 1895 entertainment before taking your seats.
Once the match has kicked off, fans will be able to access Bar 1895 from the stadium.

Other refreshments are available via the kiosks on the concourse.

Merch:

We want you to look the part and are delighted to have taken a spot in Athletic Store at the ground this year.

So all of our Roughyeds merchandise, including our training gear, is now being stocked at Boundary Park, and fans can pop in to get kitted out on matchday.

Media coverage

Make sure you are following all of our social channels, on Facebook, X and Instagram, the only place to hear the first thoughts from head coach Sean Long before and after kick off this Saturday, see exclusive on-the-hooter interviews with our players at the end of the game, watch try clips during matches, cast your vote for Man of the Match and much more.

Start your build up to the game by watching the brand new episode of our exclusive magazine show The Boundary Line here, as George is joined by head coach Sean Long, managing director Mike Ford, new signing Eloi Pelissier and centre Iain Thornley to discuss recruitment, injuries and how the squad are approaching a big run of games against Toulouse, Featherstone and Halifax.

Please subscribe, follow, like, comment, share and engage with our media content that we are so proud to have to rival any throughout rugby league - it all helps with our IMG score too.
For our loyal fans unable to get to the game there will be a live audio-only commentary service available via Roughyeds TV on You Tube from 5pm. But it is no substitute for being there!

We can't wait to have you with us at Boundary Park on Saturday evening for the visit of Toulouse .... Let’s hear the Roughyed Roar!