Who Are Ya? – Oxford RL

[Cougars News]

We’ve now reached the half way point of the ‘Who Are Ya?’ series with Oxford RL the next League One opposition to be looked at.

OXFORD RL 2014:
Final Position: 8th in Championship One
Challenge Cup: 3rd Round (Lost v Hunslet Hawks)
Top Tryscorer: Sean Morris (15)
Top Pointscorer: Jimmy Rowland (95)
Biggest Win: 40-24 v South Wales Scorpions (H, 18/5/14)
Heaviest Defeat: 16-58 v York City Knights (H, 13/7/14)

2014 REVIEW:
The 2014 season would see the side from Iffley Road finish second bottom of the pile and would also bring the end to Tony Benson’s reign as the clubs inaugural head coach.

The fixture computer would prove to be a foe rather than a friend for Oxford as they had to face the sides who would go on to make the end of season play offs in the opening eight rounds of the campaign.

Expected victories over fellow bottom dwellers London Skolars, Gloucestershire All Golds & South Wales Scorpions gave the club a platform to launch a play-off push from.

This was only enhanced by a shocking 24-16 victory away at pacesetters York City Knights in mid-April. However, the side’s season would fall apart with the next nine games bringing just a sole victory.

That sole victory came away from home against the South Wales Scorpions, themselves rooted to the bottom without a victory at that stage, and would see Tony Benson’s side suffer a number of heavy defeats.

York would avenge their shock defeat on home turf by running riot with a 58-16 triumph the result in the return fixture in Oxfordshire.

Hunslet would also inflict a further two defeats on them after beating them in the second round of the season.

Gateshead Thunder, London, Oldham and the All Golds would also be beneficiaries from the Blue Army’s appalling run of form.

With any hopes of making the end of season play-offs long gone, Oxford finished the season on an unbeaten run of three games.

A 31-24 victory away at the Skolars was followed by two home games to finish off the season. These brought a 29-22 victory over South Wales and a share of the spoils (22-22) with the Hemel Stags on the final day.

2015 SQUAD:
Danny Allan, Jordan Andrade, JJ Baird, Sam Blaney, Marcus Brooker, Ash Brown, Kyle Danns, Tom Davies, Luke Evans, Luke Gardiner, Ed Hayles, Andrew Hoggins, Ricky Hopwood, Daniel Igbinedion, Harry Kaufman, Aaron Jones-Bishop, Nathan Kitson, Jamie Milburn, Jonny Morris, Wes Newton, Graham O’Keeffe, Chris Palser-Thorne, Jonny Payne, Simon Price, Doug Randall, Louis Richards, Josh Scott, Andy Speake, Henry Swailes, Edd Vickers, Kashley Watkins

WHO’S IN:
With only ten of last season’s squad remaining at Iffley Road, new coach Tim Rumford has brought in a large number of new faces.

The standout name from the new recurits is Danny Allan, the former Leeds, York, Hunslet, Doncaster and Featherstone man followed Rumford from Heworth as did former Castleford and Newcastle prop Jonny Payne.

Louis Richards has come from Rugby Union after stints in France and Italy with Kash Watkins, brother of Leeds centre Kallum, coming from Swinton with Aaron Jones-Bishop, brother of Salford winger Ben, joining from amateur side Milford Marlins.

Richards isn’t the only Union player to switch codes, Chinnor RU duo Ricky Hopwood and Edd Vickers have also signed with University city’s Rugby League side. Winger Henry Swailes also comes in from Wilmslow RU with Old Centralians Simon Price also signing.

Featherstone Rovers Jamie Milburn and MMA trained Daniel Igbinedion from the London Broncos come for the professional’s youth setups. Harry Kaufman arrives from League One rivals Coventry Bears.

The amateur game has also allowed Rumford to bulk his squad in other areas. Andy Speake (Methley Royals), Nathan Kitson (Bradford Dudley Hill), Ash Brown (Oxford Cavaliers), Doug Randall (Guildford Giants), Kyle Danns and Luke Gardiner (Both Northampton Demons) all joining the semi-professional game.

Rumford also brought Oxford Brookes University captain Chris Palser-Thorne from the student game and Armed forces duo Jordan Andrade and Keighley born Josh Scott into the club.

WHO’S OUT:
The club have lost a number of it’s star names with Irish international Sean Morris going full time with the London Broncos.

Fellow Irish international Matty Hadden has joined Rochdale, half back Jimmy Rowland has joined Swinton with Alex Thompson switching to the North Wales Crusaders.

The trio of Mike Benson, Michael Crabtree and Dave Ellison have joined up with the London Skolars with another trio of Rory Sharratt, Callum Mulkeen and winger Yannic Parker going to the University of Gloucestershire All Golds.

Full back Andy Winfield has switched to the Coventry Bears with a further nine players, including Ryan McGoldrick and Karl Temata, being released by the club.

THE COACH:
This season will be the first time Tim Rumford has gone into a head coach role at this level off the game.

Coach of amateur club Heworth for the past few years, Rumford was previously the Head of Youth Development at the Castleford Tigers.

THE GROUND:
The Cougars will not visit Iffley Road, Cup draws aside, this season.

The land was originally bought in 1876 and was used as a cricket ground until Oxford University Cricket Club moved to the Parks in 1881.

Oxford Union RFC bought the field from Christ Church in the 1890s for £1,000. It was called the New Football Ground, and the cricket pavilion continued to be used by the new owners. Oxford University A.F.C. shared the facilities until they moved to a neighbouring field in 1921.

Rugby league was first played at Iffley Road in 2008 when the University of Oxford played Oxford Brookes and Oxford Rugby League played their first game at Iffley Road in 2013.

CHANCES FOR 2015:
A squad with the magnitued of change will need a while to settle and gel and the two friendlies have showed very little to suggest Oxford will be a threat in 2015.

After scraping past amatuer side Hunslet Warriors and being convincingly beaten by a very weak Dewsbury Rams side, Tim Rumford will have a lot of work to do.
JOSH CHAPMAN PREDICTS: 14th

FIXTURES AGAINST THE COUGARS:
Sunday 5th July – Keighley Cougars v Oxford RL – 3pm – Kingstone Press League One

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