Match Preview: Oldham vs Doncaster

Oldham can secure a top-four finish in the Betfred Championship with a win over a dangerous Doncaster side in the last home game of the regular season at Boundary Park.

Sean Long's men have secured thrilling back-to-back wins on the road against London and Batley and now know that if they can down the Dons they will secure home advantage in the playoffs.

And with chairman Bill Quinn inviting along all Salford fans to join the fun for free, it promises to be a fantastic occasion at the slightly earlier kick off time of 2pm.

Team News

The head coach is without experienced forward Elijah Taylor through concussion protocols, while another old head Matty Ashurst is missing with a hamstring issue that also forced him off the field in London.

But their absence allows an opportunity for new signing from Salford Matty Foster to be included in an Oldham squad for the first time, while Gil Dudson is also back in contention.

Mo Agoro remains sidelined with his knee injury, along with long-term casualties Riley Dean, Ted Chapelhow and Iain Thornley.

Club captain Jordan Turner this week announced his immediate retirement from rugby league after 20 years as a professional. You can watch his emotional in-depth interview on the latest episode of The Boundary Line here.

While Sean Long discusses his preparations for the Doncaster game and his team selection, as well as paying tribute to Jordan Turner in his latest interview with George here.

Squad in full: 1. Ryan Brierley 2. Kieran Dixon, 8. Gil Dudson, 9. Matty Wildie, 10. Owen Farnworth, 12. Jack Ormondroyd, 13. Adam Milner, 15. Jay Chapelhow, 20. Jack Johnson, 21. Lewis Baxter, 23. Josh Drinkwater, 24. Ben O'Keefe, 25. Tom Whitehead, 26. Matty Foster, 28. Ethan Ryan, 30. George Hirst, 31. Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e, 37. Ryan Lannon, 38. Ben Davies, 40. Eloi Pelissier, 42. Morgan Smith.

The Opposition

Doncaster this week confirmed their intention to apply for a place in the expanded 14-team Super League for 2026, and have plenty of ambition left for this season too.

Led by experienced head coach Richard Horne, the Dons gave Oldham a real fright in south Yorkshire in May, before the Roughyeds came through to win 30-26.

Doncaster are just one point and one place behind the top six for the playoff places, having suffered a 32-22 home defeat by Barrow last weekend.

Oldham are just two points behind Bradford and Toulouse in second and third but have played a game more, so victory on Sunday will be the target to secure at least a fourth-placed finish.

Match Experience

This is going to be a cracker, with live music in Bar 1895 before the game, our friends from Salford joining us too, a good support from Doncaster expected and a thrilling contest in prospect on the field with plenty at stake for both sides.

A reminder - this is a 2pm kick off, so get there early!

Inside Bar 1895 we will have live music from our Meat Loaf tribute act Peter Young from noon to kick off our usual friendly atmosphere, with a fantastic variety of drinks on offer too.
Host George Riley takes over at 1pm 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. We might even try and persuade Jordan Turner to pop in for one last time...!

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

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

Visiting fans from Doncaster and our friends from Salford are of course warmly welcomed. 🦁

Tickets

Tickets are the usual price of £20 for adults and £14 concessions with kids going free.

We strongly encourage fans to save £4 by purchasing their match tickets in advance as prices do rise on matchday.

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 buy yours.

Access:

For hospitality - including pie and peas - we request you arrive by 12pm if you are eating.

Access for the additional hospitality in the FSW Players Suite is via Furtherwood Road.

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.

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 on Sunday, see exclusive on-the-hooter interviews with our players at the end of the game and cast your vote for Man of the Match and much more.

We urge all of our fans to get behind this team on its exciting upward trajectory. Our aim is Super League but we need your help to get there - we need to build bigger crowds to be in the conversation. So if your friends and family are at a loose end - bring them!

But we also understand that not all of our fanbase can make it every week, with many of you exiled far and wide and others at work or unable to attend for medical reasons.

For that reason we are proud to bring our fans together with the usual live audio-only commentary service available exclusively via Roughyeds TV on You Tube from 3pm. We have one of the best in the business in George Riley bringing you his thrilling play-by-play commentary, and popular prop forward Ted Chapelhow will again be joining George as he recovers from injury.

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.

We can't wait to have you with us at Boundary Park on Sunday as we host Doncaster.... Let’s hear the Roughyed Roar!