Match Preview - Oldham (A)

11/06/2021

Sheffield Eagles will be aiming for a positive response to a heavy defeat against Halifax when they take on Oldham this Saturday.

The Eagles were convincingly beaten by Halifax last Sunday, losing 46-12 at The Shay.

Saturday’s hosts are also enduring a difficult run of form, the Roughyeds now without a win in four matches.

Oldham were most recently beaten by Widnes Vikings in round eight of the Championship.

LAST TIME OUT

The Eagles struggled to cope with Halifax Panthers, who led 20-6 at the half-time interval.

Nick Rawsthorne and Ben Kavanagh gave the hosts their first points of the day before James Woodburn-Hall and Sam Hewitt went over the whitewash.

The Eagles registered their first try of the match before the half-time hooter when Blake Broadbent powered over from close range, following a pass from James Davey.

The Panthers continued to dominate after half-time and registered the first points of the second half when Kevin Larroyer jumped over from dummy half.

Hewitt provided the support play for Woodburn-Hall to score his second of the game before Dan Murray extended the hosts’ lead.

Ryan Millar scored acrobatically in the left corner in his 100th game for the club before Scott Wheeldon was sent off for a late shot on Larroyer.

Larroyer touched down for the Panthers moments after Wheeldon’s dismissal.

Rawsthorne capped off Halifax’s win with his second try on a miserable afternoon for Sheffield.

Oldham also suffered a heavy defeat last time out as Widnes Vikings claimed a 18-40 victory.

Jay Hatton’s seventh-minute score gave the Vikings an early lead, with Steve Tyrer on hand to convert before doing the same for his own try soon after.

Deon Cross and Jack Owens added four-pointers for the vikings before Louis Senior scored on his Oldham debut.

Owens and Cross both completed their braces as the Vikings looked to wrap the game up.

Tom Brierley and Danny Langtree added Oldham scores either side of a Jake Spedding try which capped off a comfortable win for Widnes.

KEY BATTLE

James Davey and Greg Burns have been ever-present for the Eagles so far this season and both impressed for Sheffield in the early stages of the season.

Davey, now in his second spell with the Eagles, is often a danger for the opposition, especially when utilising his trademark scoot out from dummy half.

Burns, a product of the Sheffield academy system, has been a consistent performer since his Eagles debut back in 2015, displaying impressive quality both defensively and in the Sheffield attack.

Robbie Ward could feature for the Eagles after being selected in Mark Aston’s 21 Man Squad to face Oldham.

Oldham’s star hooker Gareth Owen will provide Davey and Burns with a difficult challenge on Saturday afternoon.

Owen, skipper at Oldham, has often been a standout player for the club since signing for the Yeds following time with Salford Red Devils and a short spell on loan at the Eagles in 2014.

He will be rotated with former Castleford Tigers youngster Declan Gregory, who this season has been used from the interchange bench following an injury to Matthew Wilkinson.

By Lewis Coleman, photo by Alex Coleman