Stand by for more “experienced” signings

It was hardly a surprise that ambitious Oldham should make their first new signing for 2025 and beyond a 34-year-old forward, Gil Dudson, given the unqualified success this year of forwards with similar backgrounds and Mike Ford's statement in one interview that while the balance of youth and age is beneficial there is no real substitute for "experience", especially in the pack.

One thinks of Craig Kopczak, Elijah Taylor, Joe Wardle and the other forwards who spearheaded Oldham’s push for the Betfred League One title and automatic promotion and I think it is fair to say, with apologies to comparative young forwards like the talented twosome, Bailey Aldridge and George Hirst, that Oldham’s pack in the main comprised of players who have been round the block. The Chapelhow twins, for instance, are no fresh-faced kids, having been previously at Widnes Vikings, Whitehaven and Newcastle.

Notwithstanding that Josh Johnson, on-loan Adam Sidlow and goalkicking machine Jamie Ellis won’t be with us in the Championship, you can stand by for more signings, like Dudson, of players of a certain age, shall we say, because of the reasons I’ve outlined in this opening par.

Prop Johnson, incidentally, has already signed for Rochdale on a one-year contract and we wish the four who are leaving us – Kian Morgan is the other – all the very best in new ventures. One cannot help thinking, though, that the big three at our club, chairman Bill Quinn, managing director Mike Ford and head coach Sean Long will seek their replacements more from those of a senior age rather than younger men like Logan Astley, Ben O’Keefe, Jumah Sambou and PLT, who is as yet technically on loan.

It will be a long close season because we are not involved in play-offs, but Ford, as is his style, even looks on the bright side of that, arguing that Roughyeds have several weeks ahead of the rest with which to finalise their 2025 squad for the Championship. Unless there are mitigating circumstances, as is presumably the case with Dudson, clubs prefer to wait until the season is finally over before they announce signings for the following year, hence Ford’s comment that Roughyeds are in front of the pack.

“You ain't seen nothing yet,” say the powers-that-be, and that’s a mouth-watering promise given everything that’s happened already since the new guys took command.

So a big welcome to the Welsh enforcer, au revoir and thanks for all they did in 2024 to the four who are leaving us – and here’s to 2025, the Championship, and stage 2 in a Rugby Revolution that is capturing the hearts and minds of rugby folk everywhere.

In the meantime, let’s do an update of where Rugby League stands now and what we can expect in the next few weeks.

As we all know, Oldham get automatic promotion to the Championship as title holders of League 1 with 19 wins from 20 games, which included four loop fixtures, Cornwall and Newcastle at home and Workington and Keighley away.

We await the Championship fixtures and the 2025 big kick-off with a “can’t wait” mentality, but what of the rest? What happens, for instance, to those five clubs immediately beneath us who are currently involved in the League One play-off?

Well, Midlands Hurricanes beat Workington Town 24-22 last Sunday and in the one other play-off contest Rochdale Hornets beat Hunslet 30-18. Workington, who finished the regular League One campaign in sixth position, bottom of the play-off five, go out, leaving Keighley, Rochdale, Hunslet and Midlands, in that order, still with an interest,

This coming Sunday, September 22, Keighley are at home to Rochdale in semi-final 1 and Hunslet are at home to Midlands in semi-final 2.

On the following Sunday, September 29, the loser of semi-final 1 will be at home to the winner of semi-final 2.

On Sunday, October 6, the final will be played at the home of the side which finished the higher in the regular season and on October 13 the winners will be away to the team finishing 12th in the Championship.

Three of those games will be streamed live by The Sportsman, so watch out for details if, like me, you’ve already got withdrawal systems because the Roughyeds have already accomplished what they set out to do.

A reminder that Championship and League One clubs know there will be a managed transition of the structure in both divisions over the next two seasons to produce two divisions of 12 by 2026.

In 2025, the Championship will become 13 teams with League One expanding to become at least ten teams and maybe 11.

RFL chief executive Tony Sutton said:

There will be a significant increase in prize money for the Championship Grand Final winners in 2024, thus recognising that the winners will no longer earn automatic promotion to Super League.

The Championship will be seen as a big competition to win in its own right.

2024

The bottom two teams in the Championship will be relegated to League One.

Winners of the League One play-off will face No 12 in the Championship at the home of the Championship club to determine which club will be in the Championship in 2025.

Steps will be taken for a new club to join League One as well.

2025

Full details are still being worked through but the impact will be to reduce the number of teams in the Championship in 2026 to 12,

2026

The Betfred Championship and Betfred League One will each have 12 clubs.

So there you have it! That’s what lies ahead as Roughyeds continue their glorious march towards their ultimate goal. I can’t wait for the new season. Can you?