LONDON BRONCOS 25 OLDHAM 8
KASEY SMITH, Cherry Red Records Stadium, Sunday

CHAMPIONSHIP favourites London made it two wins from two against one of the sides most fancied to give them a challenge this year.

Oldham – for whom this proved the final game for director of rugby Mike Ford, who quit the club shortly after full-time – proved stubborn opponents, but the home team were too strong as they ran in five tries while conceding just the one.

The Broncos understandably dominated the talk ahead of this season, and they more than lived up to their billing with their defeat of Widnes in round one.

But while some anticipated a long afternoon for Oldham, this revamped Roughyeds outfit showed real steel, threatening to come back into it throughout the second half. 

London were easy on the eye and, with their huge pack, dominated the territorial battle. It was a bruising contest, with heavy collisions, as each side matched the other’s aggression, leaving referee Matty Lynn with his hands full when the intensity ramped up on a number of occasions.

Both sides showed signs of early-season rust, with some combinations misfiring and a few plays breaking down. Even so, if this contest is any indication of what is ahead, spectators are in for a thrilling season.

London tested the Oldham line early on, but the away side held firm, and it was they who opened the scoring, benefitting from a late hit on Riley Dean with kicker Kieran Dixon kicking the penalty-goal.

Oldham unsettled London with a series of sharp raids down the right edge, almost carving out the opening try after a break from Ben O’Keefe.

London weathered the pressure following a goal-line drop-out, then made Oldham pay – swinging play to the right and exploiting the space for Alex Max to cross, although James Meadows couldn’t convert.

The lead was extended on the half-hour after a probing low kick from Dean Hawkins towards the line. The ball appeared to take an age to reach the waiting Dixon, but as it arrived, Oldham’s fullback spilled it, allowing Reagan Campbell-Gillard to pounce and score. Gairo Voro goaled.

Oldham burst into action in the second half and were aided by the award of three repeat sets.

They continued to chip away down London’s left edge and their pressure finally told after 45 minutes when the busy Cole Geyer spotted a gap from dummy-half and darted through. Dixon slotted the conversion to cut the lead to just two points.

But London soon regained control, although in controversial fashion. A Tom Nisbet kick was shepherded into touch by Hawkins and initially ruled a drop-out, with referee Lynn adjudging it knocked the halfback before going out, only for the decision to be overturned after consultation with a touch judge.

London capitalised immediately, marching upfield and punishing Oldham on the final tackle, where an overlap allowed Robert Mathias to dive over unopposed.

Both sides traded blows, with neither defence buckling, and heading into the final stages, Jake Bibby looked set to score when a lofted pass from Josh Drinkwater appeared destined for the winger’s grasp but for a flailing Liam Tindall arm. In the move of the match, he was at full stretch to pluck the ball out of the air and burst up the field for the 67th-minute try which broke Oldham’s hearts.

Late on, Oldham’s Harvey Makin looked to have grounded the ball but was adjudged held up, and then Finley Glare strolled through under the posts and Jack Croft kicked the two, before Hawkins added a field-goal.

GAMESTAR: London halfback Dean Hawkins was a menace in Oldham’s final third.

GAMEBREAKER: Liam Tindall’s interception and resulting length-of-the-field try on 67 minutes was a tough pill to swallow for Oldham.

MATCHFACTS

BRONCOS
1 Morea Morea
5 Liam Tindall
4 Alex Max
3 Robert Mathias
2 Elliot Wallis
7 Dean Hawkins
23 Gairo Voro
8 Reagan Campbell-Gillard
18 James Meadows
16 Epel Kapinias
11 Luke Smith
12 Jack Croft
15 Sadiq Adebiyi
Subs (all used)
14 Finley Glare
24 Lewis Bienek
6 Connor O’Beirne
10 Emarly Bitungane

Tries: Max (21), Campbell-Gillard (30), Mathias (53), Tindall (67), Glare (76)
Goals: Meadows 0/1, Voro 1/3, Croft 1/1
Field-goals: Hawkins (79)

OLDHAM
2 Kieran Dixon
21 Tom Nisbet
3 Ben O’Keefe
4 Ben Davies
5 Jake Bibby
7 Riley Dean
23 Josh Drinkwater
8 Jack Ormondroyd
13 Adam Milner
10 Owen Farnworth
12 Ryan Lannon
11 Matty Ashurst
18 Jaron Purcell
Subs (all used)
14 Cole Geyer
15 Ted Chapelhow
19 Harvey Makin
16 Ewan Moore

Tries: Geyer (45)
Goals: Dixon 2/2

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-2, 4-2, 10-2; 10-8, 14-8, 18-8, 24-8, 25-8

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Broncos: Dean Hawkins; Oldham: Cole Geyer

Penalty count: 9-5
Half-time: 10-2
Referee: Matty Lynn