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Sykes snapped up

15/10/2008

OLDHAM Roughyeds have continued their squad rebuilding with the capture of new boy Gary Sykes from Swinton Lions and the re-signing on new contracts of three of last season’s favourites - Tommy Goulden, Lucas Onyango and Luke Menzies.

All are on one-year deals and the fans will be particularly pleased to see that Goulden, Onyango and Menzies are staying because there were concerns among supporters that most of last season’s squad were likely to seek pastures new because the club failed to win promotion to National League One.

In fact, seven members of the 2008 squad have so far committed to the club for 2009, led by club captain and fans’ favourite Robert ‘Two Bobs’ Roberts.

The others are young props Luke Sutton (22) and Menzies (20), vastly experienced utility back Marcus St Hilaire, scrum-half James Coyle, winger Onyango and the latest to throw his 2009 hat into the Roughyeds ring, popular back-row man Goulden.

Chief executive Chris Hamilton said: "For me, Tommy Goulden is a very important signing for us.

"He made a big impact last year until he picked up a foot injury which affected him at the back end of the campaign.

"Consistency is one of his strong points. Over the course of the season he did everything we asked of him when we signed him in the first place and we are really pleased to get him back on board."

On Onyango, Mr Hamilton said: "He struggled a bit with injuries last season, but he is fully fit and raring to go now.

"He has the quality fans love to see most in a winger - real pace - and hopefully he will show that again next season.

"He missed the first 12 games of last season after a shoulder operation in January, but he is determined to put that behind him now and to do as well in 2009 as he did in 2007."

The Kenyan scored 18 tries in 23 games that year and added 11 in 18 in 2008 for an admirable two-season overall record of 29 tries in 41 outings.

Sykes, the latest new signing, is a 22-year-old hooker from Swinton Lions.

He was reared in the Wigan Warriors production line alongside three of his new Roughyeds team-mates, half-backs James and Thomas Coyle and winger Andy Ballard, signed from Salford City Reds.

He had a season on loan to Leigh in 2006 before returning to Wigan for 2007 and then spending the season just ended at Swinton.

Roughyeds were also delighted to land 20-year-old prop Menzies, who had two spells with the club on loan from Hull KR last season.

The Super League club decided not to offer him a new deal for 2009, but their loss was Oldham’s gain.

Added Hamilton: "Menzies, at the age of 20, is still only a baby in terms of prop-forwards. He wants to return to Super League eventually, but he enjoyed his spells with us on loan and now he is happy to commit to us for 2009.

"He is going to get bigger, better and stronger and after a good pre-season we expect him to have a really big year in 2009."

The seach for a successor to head coach Steve Deakin is continuing.a