Lawton.

[spw1]

I think I’ve just read that Adam Lawton’s gone to Widnes on loan, I hope that’s all it is and we’re not going to get rid of him, I know he’s struggled a little bit with fitness since his injury last season, but a fit AL is a player we should be keeping. 

[Bert Street]

25 minutes ago, spw1 said:

I think I’ve just read that Adam Lawton’s gone to Widnes on loan, I hope that’s all it is and we’re not going to get rid of him, I know he’s struggled a little bit with fitness since his injury last season, but a fit AL is a player we should be keeping. 

I think we are seeing the  the break up of the team that got us promoted. Have added Musgrove and Lannan recently in the forwards.

Lawton has hardly played for a year and hasn't looked the same player when he has.

We also need to trim the wage bill, I would have said.

[Roughyed Rats]

Also, Pat Moran, Owen Farnworth and Ben Forster playing for Rochdale this weekend. Think Longy has finally lost it

[Happyed]

I think longy’s just looking at 3 weeks off and wanting to give some game time to those players who are fit 

 Lawton is good player and can change games. I can’t see us letting him go 

[Happyed]

Also why would you change last weeks team if you didn’t have to? 

[m brooksy]

Absolutely terrible squad management. Lawton, Moran and Farnworth should be in our team every week if fit. All should be in our starting side never mind the 17. Forster makes sense to dual reg as he's very talented but needs to play every week. Really hope we don't lose any of these players who were so good for us last year just so we can sign more 35+ aged players.

[shaw llewellyn]

"If fit" is the key phrase. They haven't looked 100% and with two weeks off they need match fitness.

They have all been key contributors but, as has been mentioned above, who would you drop from last week?

[tub]

We need more speed in the forwards with quicker play the balls 

Keep   - Moran and Farnworth , both have good speed and get over the gain line

Drop - Dudson ... doesn't look ex SL ... not fit ?   ... replace with Hirst 

v Fax .........Dudson-11 tackles. one miss. one tackle break. one try assist. 4 carries=23m

[tandle]

one man made that big difference in the win over fax craven.

if he dosent pick a fit craven against hunslet.

then i will begin to doubt longs coaching methods.

 

[herbie]

35 minutes ago, m brooksy said:

Absolutely terrible squad management. Lawton, Moran and Farnworth should be in our team every week if fit. All should be in our starting side never mind the 17. Forster makes sense to dual reg as he's very talented but needs to play every week. Really hope we don't lose any of these players who were so good for us last year just so we can sign more 35+ aged players.

Who would you drop from the team that played Halifax?

If we keep the same team would you rather the players not picked to be sat in the stand or keeping match fit?

Looks like good squad management to me. 

[Oldham Valderama]

Not sure i understand all the uproar on this one if I'm being honest, for me it looks like good squad management.

Last week Oldham put in one of their best performances of the season, with respect to Hunslet at the weekend why change a winning team? Hopefully we can do a job on Hunslet on Sunday and with a bit of luck give the points for / against a bit of a boost which wont do any harm come the end of the season. After that the current favoured 1-17 then get a two week break to recharge the batteries.

On the flip side those players that have been on the periphery of the first 1-17 and not been playing on a regular basis due to injury, form or just not being selected, if they can get a bit of game time over the next couple of weeks then that should be to their benefit. Its clear Lawton has not been fully fit for a while hence why he's been in & out of the side, he was probably never gonna get into the Oldham side for this weekend so why not lend him out to hopefully get a bit of match fitness under his belt.

Oldham have a BIG squad both in size and numbers and you cant play everyone every week. To me all this seems like a good plan to hopefully be in a position by the Toulouse game for the current 1-17 to have had a good rest and those lacking game time to get a couple of games under their belts and be back firing on all cylinders.

Lets see what Sean Long says in his pre Toulouse build up with regard to the state of the squad and those available to him? I think the plan is for him to have a selection headache with a lot of players back chomping at the bit and raring to go. 

COME ON OLDHAM!!!! 

 

[Roughyed Rats]

5 minutes ago, herbie said:

Who would you drop from the team that played Halifax?

If we keep the same team would you rather the players not picked to be sat in the stand or keeping match fit?

Looks like good squad management to me. 

Dudson - he’s not fit enough in my opinion

[herbie]

8 minutes ago, Roughyed Rats said:

Dudson - he’s not fit enough in my opinion

Thats fair enough thats your opinion.

If Long felt the same way maybe Dudson could have gone dual reg.

He didnt.

[bosman69]

The forwards were excellent last week as a unit. We have other fit forwards who would benefit from a run out so we have facilitated that. 

From my perspective I am a big fan of Moran and Farnworth and they have both played well this year in my opinion.  

Forster has big potential but needs more carries.

Lawton I am less of a fan of. At his best he is a destructive runner but he is prone to misses on defence and his discipline has been poor at times. He needs game time to regain his fitness levels so a loan move seems sensible. 

I suspect the week off factored in Longs thinking as well.

[ChampagneCharlieReturns]

Week off? We have 3 weeks between hunslet and toulouse games gets everyone gametime in the break, rumours martyn reilly back maybe?

[wozzeryedhead]

8 minutes ago, ChampagneCharlieReturns said:

Week off? We have 3 weeks between hunslet and toulouse games gets everyone gametime in the break, rumours martyn reilly back maybe?

I liked rambo 

[Happyed]

20 minutes ago, ChampagneCharlieReturns said:

Week off? We have 3 weeks between hunslet and toulouse games gets everyone gametime in the break, rumours martyn reilly back maybe?

You would expect a permanent departure or two if that’s the case

[Jimmy DoNut]

Martyn Reilly been released by Widnes with immediate effect 

[wozzeryedhead]

13 minutes ago, Jimmy DoNut said:

Martyn Reilly been released by Widnes with immediate effect 

Hmmmm 

[sheddingswasus]

Widnes Facebook page says an initial 2 weeks loan, although they hope to extend it. It also says “The club hopes to provide further details of a permanent addition to be finalised in the coming weeks.” but not sure if it relates to AL. 
 

[tandle]

36 minutes ago, Jimmy DoNut said:

Martyn Reilly been released by Widnes with immediate effect 

a great forward as when he played for oldham .

but now very injury prone

[Tim G]

Just sit back and enjoy this wonderful journey we are on.  I have no  doubt Bill and Mike are currently recruiting for an upgrade in players.  They mean business 

[wozzeryedhead]

Exiting times all the new news that comes out is brilliant i love it 

[Oldham 1]

No problem with this especially with a couple of free weekends after this one , good to keep the lads playing where possible and Lawton needs to be playing to get back fully fit helps us and helps Widnes and Rochdale getting 3 quality players they won't be complaining having them lads playing in a tough game against North Wales , personally I'd have brought Farnworth back for Dudson but that's only my opinion 

[shrewsbury roughyed]

Adam Lawton imo hasn’t fully regained his top form yet after lengthy injury so it makes absolute sense to give him 2 weeks at Widnes where he should get more minutes at a decent level. Forster isn’t an automatic first team squad pick just yet, so more games will help him. Farnworth and Moran, particularly Pat M have been strong and let no one down. But they’re not going to displace Musgrave, Lannon, the twins, Hirst etc. It’s actually refreshing that we’re in a position to send players out on DR and loan, instead of scrabbling round for anybody and his brother to make up the numbers, as in all too recent history. Everyone’s entitled to their opinions but Sean Long and Mike Ford have more rugby league knowledge, intelligence and experience than anyone on this forum, yes, even including me with my scrum half/stand off (I couldn’t tell the difference) for Roundthorn Primary School in 1969-70. In addition, every time there’s an apparent mini crisis arising, Bill Q sorts out some previously unimaginable recruitment. Opinions yes; whinging? We don’t know when we’re well off!