Daily interviews from past players

[clifford 1,028]

I think that the daily interviews with former stars is a step forward, we have had

JC

Terry Flanagan 

Des Foy

John Hough

Charlie Mac.

Hopefully we'll hear from Brett Clarke Peter Walsh Chris O'Sullivan Garry Bridge 

Edited April 20, 2020 by clifford

[Steve the Roughyed 27]

I agree bud.  Been excellent but also making me feel very depressed about the state of

a) the club and,

b) the entertainment value of the RL product in general.

I watched the whole of the video of the match v The Aussies 1986, the one with the Aussie commentators and just felt so sad that there will never be any days like that again watching Oldham.  Proper deep lines and running rugby, rather than a close encounter with two flat lines

[Steve the Roughyed 27]

To be honest although scrums could be a mess it was good to watch contested scrums.  A good pairing of 8 and 9 was an important part in gaining possession and I think the game has lost an art there which was important.

[clifford 1,028]

Scrums were a mess, props could clash heads once or all game. I remember gary Ainsworth saying to his opponent, are you going to be stupid today or play nice. It started nice and ended in handbags.

Just memories now.................. it truly does make me sad that we have no home, most junior amateur players have aspersions to play for leeds Wigan saints. Oldham is the very last port of call if at all.

The owner had a chance to get funding at whitebank but didn't. The fan base is shrinking for reasons that have been discussed before on here, at meetings and before games.

 

 

[clifford 1,028]

I crave for a  prop who can slip a pass like mick Morgan or Alex Alexander 

[The Art of Hand and Foot 923]

1 hour ago, clifford said:

I crave for a  prop who can slip a pass like mick Morgan or Alex Alexander 

Once saw mick Morgan, make a break, he passed the ball inside to the supporting centre. Everyone, and I mean everyone followed the centre, only for mick to carry on running with ball in hand!!!!!? Magic.

[ArthurO 87]

1 hour ago, clifford said:

I crave for a  prop who can slip a pass like mick Morgan or Alex Alexander 

Although he was a 'second rower', one of the best ball-handlers and passers that I can remember was a player called Alan Burns. He could throw a deadly accurate pass whilst upside down, standing on his head, facing backwards and with his eyes closed. He only played about 25 games for us but he was a so-called game changer. He played in the first round C.C. against Swinton in 1966 and Swinton were waiting for him. He was physically 'targetted' for the full 80 minutes from the first to the last whistle. He was never the same after that game and soon left us. Really sad.

Never liked Swinton since then, 'cause of what they did to him.

That said, I still hate Holdsworth, Harry Poole (HKR) he hit Dave Parker,  Bishop (HKR) he hit Charlie Mac, HKR (1964) semi-final, Castleford (1986) semi-final etc. etc. etc.    I've got a long list ! Too many to mention.

Rugby League does generate a lot of 'passion' and 'dislike' of the opposition doesn't it ?  Especially if you're a long suffering Roughyed.   

[clifford 1,028]

Latest players fordy and lord platt, two excellent players. But Lord Platt was the best full back I have seen in an oldham shirt, at the time, I watched his positional play to try and pick up tips

[ArthurO 87]

3 hours ago, clifford said:

Lord Platt was the best full back I have seen

Lord Platt ?  Or, do you mean Laurie Platt ? ?

[clifford 1,028]

Duncan Platt aka the lord

[ArthurO 87]

9 hours ago, clifford said:

Duncan Platt aka the lord

Duncan Platt ?   A better full back than Martin Murphy ? ? ?

I watched both of them from the start, to the end, of their playing days for the Roughyeds. 

I'll give you a clue:  One of then has been inducted into the ORLFC 'Hall of Fame' and the other one hasn't.  

[The Art of Hand and Foot 923]

I loved the almost nonchalant movement of duncan platt. I remember someone once saying he was 'deceptively slow'. . There's no doubt about it. He would have slotted over that conversion had holdsworth not peed his his pants,and given a try.

Edited April 23, 2020 by The Art of Hand and Foot

[Pigeon Lofter 370]

36 minutes ago, ArthurO said:

He had one job and one job only. To kick goals. 

The huge number of points he scored in every game he played more than made up for his 'defensive frailties'.

I arrived to late to see Ganley but the best kicker I ever saw, for drop goals, kicks to touch and field goals, was Johnny Blair.

He wasn't a regular on the teamsheet and that was a mystery as he could hoof the ball fifty yards with ease, be that a pot at goal or a touchfinder. He was a good tackler too. I think he played stand-off, centre or fullback.

Anyone remember a last minute drop goal at Knowsley Road in the mid 1970s where the ball sailed over from the half way line? The best drop kick I ever saw. Plenty of Oldham fans at St Helens that day, it's not often we won there but when it happened, it happened in a very magical way.

I heard Johnny died before his time. He was a cracking Oldham legend.

[clifford 1,028]

My dad and granddad said Ganley was the worst full back ever, but he could kick goals 

[tandle 326]

the best defensive fullback and goal kicker Oldham ever had imo was frank {spanky dyson}

[ArthurO 87]

4 hours ago, tandle said:

the best defensive fullback and goal kicker Oldham ever had imo was frank {spanky dyson}

Nope. He wasn't the best defensive fullback we've every had. Nobody can beat Martin Murphy in that department. However Murphy, unfortunately, couldn't kick the ball.

Dyson on the other hand, could. He kicked over 200 goals at an average of more than three in every game he played.

However, Frankie Dyson was a player of his time. He could tackle when he had to but, it's fair to say that he was a 'stout lad' and, physically he was built more for 'comfort rather than speed'. As a result, in a foot race I never remember him actively chasing and catching any opposition player that didn't have a number 8 or 10 on their shirt. 

If you see what I mean ? 

As a matter of interest, anyone remember fullback Brian Curry (South African ?) He kicked an average of three per game,  two of which were world-class goals right off the touchline against Bradford (cc 2nd round replay) in 1968.

 

[The Art of Hand and Foot 923]

6 hours ago, clifford said:

My dad and granddad said Ganley was the worst full back ever, but he could kick goals 

Too young to have seen him, but a family member said he couldn't tackle, for toffee, but no matter where on the field,  he was guaranteed to score a goal.

[Tangle 157]

Should have said in 68