2025 - a year in review

[bosman69]

The name of the game is not to start strong but finish at your best.

So, when your best performance of the season is the opening league game - York at home - and you play poorly for the last 2 months of the season culminating in the Halifax demolition something has not gone to plan..

A quick glance at the respective team sheets is instructive. The forwards barely changed - no ET and Moran - more of him later - but we added 2 fine players in Whitehead and Ormonroyd. The only 2 backs to feature in both games were Drinkwater and PLT - the latter playing out of position on the wing. Dean was at 6 and our 3/4s consisted of Dixon and Johnson on the wings who both started the season strongly, with Sambou and Thornley in the centers. How much have we missed those 2 fantastic players and a fit JT?

General observations 

One paced forwards

Nothing illustrated this more than Friday.. 3 props on the bench.. and a player who played his best rugby this year at prop in Hirst.. and if we had a 3/4 injured during the game the only solution all year has been to put Hirst in the backs as the others were all too slow. 

We also wore out the same players with poor rotation imo. Lawton (admittedly another plodder after his injury), Forster, Baxter and Gallagher (injured but then sent out on loan) did not get enough game time. Moran and Milner were dovetailing superbly at the start of the season. Quite why Pat wasn't playing in the 2nd of the season I cannot imagine, especially as we were playing so poorly. Whitehead is a good player and played well. Not sure why we signed Lannon who played ok but hardly solved the back row speed issue?

Back injuries 

A constant problem and despite the generosity of our great chairman to add more troops we lacked speed and a cutting edge.

At the start of the year,  Drinkwater and Dean were our no 1 choice with good back up from Craven and Astley. Finding a consistent partner for Drinkwater is a problem we have not truly solved and on Friday we constantly hit lead runners with Brierley in acres of space as Halifax jammed in. Poor play or game plan?

Mid season recruitment 

Disruptive? Necessity? Hit or miss?

I guess the jury is still out. At times we really needed bodies of course as injures hit.. note to Oldham please stop signing so many seasoned players.. but sean seemed unable to create cohesion, the full back conundrum being an obvious issue. I suspect we had long since agreed to sign Brierley for next year and he is a fantastic player, but the implosion at Salford meant he was available now and we grabbed him. I understand why but the reality is that we had played with PLT there and done well. They are totally different styles of player and we failed to make the most of Ryan this year.We compounded this by playing PLT out of position. Personally, I would have persevered with Ryan in the halves and left PLT at fullback with Smith on ths bench.

Success or failure?

In terms of league position 4th was only a par finish given our playing budget and resources. The top 3 were a tough nut to crack but were the best of the rest consistently without ever looking like challenging. Our large squad and deep pockets was the difference as both Fev and Fax were better when fully fit but form dipped when injuries hit.

We lost the big games of course and that will colour the overall judgement with a hammering from teams who finished below us in the 1895 Cup and in the play offs.

Big questions remain with regard to our coach. We win league one..but with the tools ar our disposal so we should! We have a one dimensional style of play and no plan B. If a team goes after us we crack and our much vaunted defence becomes vulnerable.. our points difference would have seen us finish 6th.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 21 by bosman69

[Happyed]

That seems a fair summary.

Couldn't agree more with the lack of pace/impact of our forwards. Thats got to a priority to address next season- we’ll only see the best from drinky and dean/smith when we have some fast play of the ball to work with.

i think the good news is we have a talented spine and with a few personnel changes and a preseason to work on it- we should improve

 

Edited September 21 by Happyed

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

I've just looked back at the comments pre season, especially mine . My main hopes were:

Avoid bottom 4 play offs (tick)

Avoid relegation (tick)

Reach top 6 play offs (tick)

Establish ourselves as a competitive championship side on a par with the likes of Fev (tick) 

On the downside I really thought we would average 3,000 crowds.  So we need to push that. The problem is the club over promised, that is they really pushed the 'Wembley ' thing. When it wasnt forthcoming then doubts set in. They tried to balance that by bringing in the likes of Nene McD. Who, I have no doubt, is a class player. But he completely disrupted the squad. This last month we have played a team of excellent individuals,  who are not yet a team.

I hope next season we under promise and over deliver.

I for one can't wait.  

Edit, we have done wonders off field :Netpar, youth teams etc.

 

 

 

Edited September 21 by The Art of Hand and Foot

[bosman69]

36 minutes ago, The Art of Hand and Foot said:

I've just looked back at the comments pre season, especially mine . My main hopes were:

Avoid bottom 4 play offs (tick)

Avoid relegation (tick)

Reach top 6 play offs (tick)

Establish ourselves as a competitive championship side on a par with the likes of Fev (tick) 

On the downside I really thought we would average 3,000 crowds.  So we need to push that. The problem is the club over promised, that is they really pushed the 'Wembley ' thing. When it wasnt forthcoming then doubts set in. They tried to balance that by bringing in the likes of Nene McD. Who, I have no doubt, is a class player. But he completely disrupted the squad. This last month we have played a team of excellent individuals,  who are not yet a team.

I hope next season we under promise and over deliver.

I for one can't wait.  

Edit, we have done wonders off field :Netpar, youth teams etc.

 

 

 

I agree that the overall trajectory across the club is extremely positive. 

As for Nene that became something of a circus.

He is a centre and if we manage to secure him moving forward then I sincerely hope that is where we play him. 

[Oldham Valderama]

8 hours ago, bosman69 said:

The name of the game is not to start strong but finish at your best.

So, when your best performance of the season is the opening league game - York at home - and you play poorly for the last 2 months of the season culminating in the Halifax demolition something has not gone to plan..

A quick glance at the respective team sheets is instructive. The forwards barely changed - no ET and Moran - more of him later - but we added 2 fine players in Whitehead and Ormonroyd. The only 2 backs to feature in both games were Drinkwater and PLT - the latter playing out of position on the wing. Dean was at 6 and our 3/4s consisted of Dixon and Johnson on the wings who both started the season strongly, with Sambou and Thornley in the centers. How much have we missed those 2 fantastic players and a fit JT?

General observations 

One paced forwards

Nothing illustrated this more than Friday.. 3 props on the bench.. and a player who played his best rugby this year at prop in Hirst.. and if we had a 3/4 injured during the game the only solution all year has been to put Hirst in the backs as the others were all too slow. 

We also wore out the same players with poor rotation imo. Lawton (admittedly another plodder after his injury), Forster, Baxter and Gallagher (injured but then sent out on loan) did not get enough game time. Moran and Milner were dovetailing superbly at the start of the season. Quite why Pat wasn't playing in the 2nd of the season I cannot imagine, especially as we were playing so poorly. Whitehead is a good player and played well. Not sure why we signed Lannon who played ok but hardly solved the back row speed issue?

Back injuries 

A constant problem and despite the generosity of our great chairman to add more troops we lacked speed and a cutting edge.

At the start of the year,  Drinkwater and Dean were our no 1 choice with good back up from Craven and Astley. Finding a consistent partner for Drinkwater is a problem we have not truly solved and on Friday we constantly hit lead runners with Brierley in acres of space as Halifax jammed in. Poor play or game plan?

Mid season recruitment 

Disruptive? Necessity? Hit or miss?

I guess the jury is still out. At times we really needed bodies of course as injures hit.. note to Oldham please stop signing so many seasoned players.. but sean seemed unable to create cohesion, the full back conundrum being an obvious issue. I suspect we had long since agreed to sign Brierley for next year and he is a fantastic player, but the implosion at Salford meant he was available now and we grabbed him. I understand why but the reality is that we had played with PLT there and done well. They are totally different styles of player and we failed to make the most of Ryan this year.We compounded this by playing PLT out of position. Personally, I would have persevered with Ryan in the halves and left PLT at fullback with Smith on ths bench.

Success or failure?

In terms of league position 4th was only a par finish given our playing budget and resources. The top 3 were a tough nut to crack but were the best of the rest consistently without ever looking like challenging. Our large squad and deep pockets was the difference as both Fev and Fax were better when fully fit but form dipped when injuries hit.

We lost the big games of course and that will colour the overall judgement with a hammering from teams who finished below us in the 1895 Cup and in the play offs.

Big questions remain with regard to our coach. We win league one..but with the tools ar our disposal so we should! We have a one dimensional style of play and no plan B. If a team goes after us we crack and our much vaunted defence becomes vulnerable.. our points difference would have seen us finish 6th.

 

 

 

 

Excellent post by Bosman69 and I pretty much agree with everything that has been said.

Oldham have a really good squad with a lot of talented and experienced players however on Friday night after the initial Oldham pressure for the first 5 mins all 2600 odd in the crowd could see what was going to transpire. As soon as Halifax had the ball they played at lightening speed and Oldham just could not keep up. At each play the ball the Halifax ball receiver set off running like they were in the 100m final at the Olympics and caught out Oldham's defence most of the time. This opened up gaps here there and everywhere along Oldham's line and the sheer speed of play that Halifax managed to keep up just was too much for Oldham. When Oldham did have possession it was a lot more pedestrian and we made little to no impact with the exception of PLT and Ethan Ryan who when they had the ball injected a bit of pace but only sporadically when they eventually received the ball. Basically Oldham were beaten by the raw speed of how Halifax played on Friday night, we just could not live with them for some reason. I cant fault the effort of any of the Oldham players, they played their hearts out and bust a gut but in the end we were beaten on the night by a superior and much much faster team. 

Overall I do think the season has been a success, 4th place in our first season back in the Championship I would have bit your hand off back in March and the club is in a fantastic place both on and off the field thanks to BQ / MF etc so the future looks bright. 

HOWEVER, we cannot ignore the fact that expectations have been set very high this year and given the amount spent on the squad it now comes across as though Oldham have come up short. I think a lot of the recruitment has been good however can see the argument regarding the age of the squad now assembled and i think this certainly played a factor in Friday's defeat. If Halifax had not come out and played as if their shorts were on fire then i think it would have most probably been a more even game and Oldham could have won. I just think the sheer speed that Halifax flew out of the blocks just ruined us right from the start and we had no answer.

Looking at who we already have signed on for next year I think MF said it was 21 up to now. These 21 are pretty damn good however we have I reckon about 30+ players on the books currently and if those not already announced for next season then I'm pretty sure they will be off loaded. Therefore with the noises coming out of the club about next season I think we'll end up with a squad of around 30 like this season so for me recruitment needs to be at the younger range of the age scale. Super League for 2026 looks like a non starter now after Friday night irrespective of what bid we have put in so if we can get in around 7-8 young, up and coming hungry Championship standard players (yes easier said than done I appreciate that) to inject some much needed speed into the squad and then compliment the existing mix of ages currently signed up. 

When the new ownership came on board a couple of season's ago I reckon Super League was an initial say 5 year goal, to have it thrust upon us and be a possibility after just two seasons was unexpected and even though all the right things are said in public we are just not ready and i think all sensible Oldham fans accept this. Whoever does go up (I reckon York, Bradford & London) none are ready same as Oldham and will be the whipping boys of Super League. If you are getting walloped every week like Salford this season (all be it for different reasons!) you will just depress your fan base and will struggle to grow. You can only go into Super League if you are prepared, if not you are just on a hiding to nothing. I'd hate that to happen to Oldham so maybe in a weird way Friday night may be a blessing in disguise. Another season or two in the Championship will not do Oldham any harm and I do not believe Super League will be a closed shop, there will be possibilities in the future for promotion / relegation and given the current regime and a bit more time Oldham can be well placed to make the step up and more importantly be competitive.  

In the end I think 2025 has been a success, a couple of seasons ago we did not think Oldham had much of an existence to look forward to now look where we are. Yes maybe we fans and the owners started to get a bit greedy and wanted more but it was not to be and possibly mistakes have been made that have derailed us along the way but it is what it is. 

Thank you BQ / MF / SL and all the Oldham squad for what has been a fantastic season back in the Championship and restoring my faith in Oldham. Things are great off-field and although on-field its ended with a bit of a whimper I'll be there first in line later this year when 2026 season tickets come on sale. 

One last thing, on the Sean Long as coach debate sorry but I'm NOT one of those who think he should be ousted, personally i think he's done a fine job over the past couple of seasons, yes last season any Oldham fan could have coached that squad to win League One but the Championship has been a massive step up. Yes maybe some tactical decisions or team selections have been incorrect but show me a coach who gets it right all the time? If I had to score Sean Long this season I'd say its a 7.5 out of 10. There's improvement that can be made but overall I think he's a fine coach and deserves another shot at the Championship. 

The future is bright for rugby league in Oldham - STRONGER TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!

Edited September 21 by Oldham Valderama

[Locutus]

Overall a good season, I'd have taken 4th at the beginning of the season 100%. 

However there are lessons to be learned from the season. Clearly there is an issue in big games where to many performances have been below par, given the experience in the squad this worries me. I dont know what the issue is, wether its not treating the games with the respect required or building the game up to much? I dont know but something needs to alter to get good performances in these type of games. 

The squad itself I feel had to many veterans in it and I believe that contributed to us running out of steam near the end of the season. More players of the PLT and sambou type please, people with a point to prove who are looking to make a name for themselves. I would much rather we were a stepping stone than a retirement home.

Lastly, and I made this point in the Halifax thread, we recruited to much throughout the season. Personally I think the window for transfers should close at around the midpoint of the season but I guess the rules are the rules there but for all the players we brought in later on in the season they disjointed us more than they improved us. I honestly think we would have had a better end to the season if we'd kept a more settled squad. The signing of the prop from Warrington whos now at bradford was very, very odd as well. 

So, bring in a few younger players don't go all scatter gun mid season on recruitment and alter the big game preparations somehow and hopefully we can improve on this year. 

[m brooksy]

Really some fantastic posts here and think you guys have said everything that needs to be said. We've had a great season with a bad ending. Dust ourselves down, learn from our mistakes and go even better next year.

I do think once the SL burden is lifted and we can move forward with clarity about what we need to do to deserve promotion we'll be fine. Focus on the pathways and academy and get the women's team going. Put into action the idea's for improving the crowds.

I think the good thing about improving the team and the style is that everyone can see where we are deficient. More pace, energy to compete against the better teams and more players who are going to be at Oldham for the longer term rather than just a couple of seasons at the end of the careers. 

One bad night won't ruin our season or our future.

[Jimmy DoNut]

As has been said, some great posts here - a few points of my own:-

- towards season end, we beat Batley, London & Doncaster in tight games. Some people have stated that as a negative, or a sign that things weren't right, because we didn't play well or were lucky to win. Sean Long said at the start of the year that to do well in the  Championship you need a certain level of mental toughness to get yourself over the line and win tight games, of which there would be several. These  3 wins, especially as 2 of them were away from home, should be seen as positives, not negatives, and were crucial in us reaching the top 4! Remember, we were in League 1 last year.

- On Friday against Halifax, we were clearly well beaten. Why? Firstly, we played a team who are used to regularly     reaching  the Championship play-offs and who are battle-hardened to the extra pressure 'finals footy' brings. Not only that, as their own fans have said on social media, they produced a performance on the night to rank alongside anything Fax have produced in recent years. As for Oldham, it's our first year at this level - our first play-off match - and we had no experience as a collective group to fall back on. If we reach the same stage next year, I'm sure this chastening night will stand us in good stead.

- Not only did Fax have previous-year experience, they were battle-hardened this year too - five straight wins on consecutive week-ends right up to the play-offs. We had the Featherstone game (which was effectively a dead rubber) and then a blank week-end. Plus we had Dudson, Ashurst & Ted Chap in the 17 who hadn't played for weeks! Hardly surprising we couldn't match Fax for intensity, power and pace on the night. As Craig Fitzgibbon, the Cronulla Sharks coach, said after his team reached the last 4 in the NRL, you need "battle-hardened soldiers" at the business end of the season.

- Fax, it has to be said, also had the bounce of the ball in the first half. Two tries from kicks close to the line which, on another day, would have been diffused by Oldham. And the winger's fingertips saved a certain PLT try at 0-0. When these things happened, confidence swept through the Fax team in waves and the hearts of the Oldham players, as well as us fans, will have sank - human nature. Difficult to change the momentum in such circumstances.

- To conclude, we all agree we had a fabulous season, finishing 4th was no mean achievement. I'm sure with squad strengthening this off-season, we'll be even better next year, hopefully with Longy still at the helm.

[Bedford Roughyed]

 

[Anita Bath]

Progress to me is a matter of is the team better this year than it was 12 months ago. Sadly I cant say it was at Hornets. I am not sure you lot need to bother asking the question.

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

54 minutes ago, Anita Bath said:

Progress to me is a matter of is the team better this year than it was 12 months ago. Sadly I cant say it was at Hornets. I am not sure you lot need to bother asking the question.

True, however its also about expectations.  Pre season our expectations were all about staying up and competing.  Then we stuffed York. Suddenly our expectations shot through the roof. The talk of Wembley increased our expectations.  The signings further increased our expectations.  Next season we will be better but also wiser. 

[Oldham Valderama]

Really good episode that of the Boundary Line, the future is still bright for Oldham after Friday's whooping and all looks like its going in the right direction moving forward especially so off the field. I fully understand why we have put a bid in for Super League however I think now even BQ & MF realise that may be a step too far too soon and building in the championship for another season or two is the way forward. If we get recruitment right over the coming month then I reckon we could be favourites to be the top team in the championship for 2026.

My only concern was there was no mention of Sean Long by anyone which seemed a bit odd, hope all is still well behind the scenes and those rumours flying about last Friday night are untrue? 

[sheddingswasus]

14 minutes ago, Oldham Valderama said:

My only concern was there was no mention of Sean Long by anyone which seemed a bit odd, hope all is still well behind the scenes and those rumours flying about last Friday night are untrue? 

I  have  just watched it myself and that was my thoughts. They mentioned by name virtually all the back room staff but not Sean Long. I guess we will find out in due course. 

[shrewsbury roughyed]

3 hours ago, sheddingswasus said:

I  have  just watched it myself and that was my thoughts. They mentioned by name virtually all the back room staff but not Sean Long. I guess we will find out in due course. 

Sometimes silence can be very eloquent. There’s more said by what isn’t said…the plot thickens!

[sheddingswasus]

4 hours ago, shrewsbury roughyed said:

Sometimes silence can be very eloquent. There’s more said by what isn’t said…the plot thickens!

Agreed

[Bert Street]

11 hours ago, sheddingswasus said:

I  have  just watched it myself and that was my thoughts. They mentioned by name virtually all the back room staff but not Sean Long. I guess we will find out in due course. 

I thought that. Wouldn't be the best decision in my view.

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

12 hours ago, sheddingswasus said:

I  have  just watched it myself and that was my thoughts. They mentioned by name virtually all the back room staff but not Sean Long. I guess we will find out in due course. 

Might depend on whether we make superleague or not.

[sheddingswasus]

Fordy said he didn’t speak for two days after. Bill said there would be a big review. I guess both of those sum up the directors feelings. 

[bosman69]

I think both were realistic and balanced. The manner of the defeat scarred us all. No team has divine right to win any game and any review - which we would do in any event I am sure - will take the whole season in its full context. 

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

Given what fordy said about our img score, this was posted by love rugby league. Giving an indication of how our img score will improve. 

 

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/ranking-the-7-clubs-set-for-biggest-img-performance-score-increase-including-super-league-hopefuls-and-grand-final-contenders?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcANDYshleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHpIqbkXYKde4UZZRMojJSllgXVhsFPMPOtdovMmVgATzNrxu_6OPB14TUC8w_aem_jdAOEtaGfaXyddNLXnRWVQ#Echobox=1758875119

[Jimmy DoNut]

3 hours ago, sheddingswasus said:

Fordy said he didn’t speak for two days after. Bill said there would be a big review. I guess both of those sum up the directors feelings. 

And if he had a cat, he'd have kicked it !!   

Edited September 26 by Jimmy DoNut

[E Stand]

The club has made remarkable strides and all credit is due to BQ, MF and many behind the scenes, paid and volunteers, who have made this happen. 

The team,however, has not quite matched the club's progress. Given the investment, training facilities, backroom staff etc, L1 champions, 4th place Championship finish are acceptable if not spectacular. 

The team has consistently failed in the big games and, given the context of the Halifax game, the performance was unacceptable. 

It has a real problem dealing with setbacks on the field. Save for the York home game, its attack is largely one dimensional, relying on the individual brilliance of PLT, Dixon and Drinkwater. There is no Plan B.

Whether it's Long or someone else, I just wish the coach would encourage innovation. 

I'd have several players mastering 40/20s, and set an incremental target for each successive game. Make the ball do the work by reducing the number in the attacking line,striving to always move forward. The defensive line should move up in unison with a half back sweeper behind.

The kick off/ restart should be constantly varied, but mostly aimed at the touchline. Basic common sense tactics, not rocket science!

Overall, then, a very good 2 years, recognising we need to keep improving to fulfill the club's ambitions. Thanks again to all concerned.