OLDHAM will be without Ted Chapelhow for the rest of a season due to a finger injury.
The 29-year-old has played 23 times this year, scoring four tries, and having been playing with the injury, has now been advised to have surgery.
“He has pushed through this for the last five weeks, but his season is now finished. It’s a blow, because he’s been terrific,” said coach Sean Long.
He and twin brother Jay Chapelhow came through the old Academy system at hometown club Widnes to make the first team there.
And after a joint move to Ottawa Aces was scuppered by the Canadian team failing to get up and running in 2021 as had been planned, they had three years alongside each other at Newcastle Thunder before joining Oldham ahead of last season.
Both were regulars as Oldham won promotion as League One champions, becoming fans’ favourites in the process.
The Roughyeds have stated ambitions of playing in Super League, and are keen to underline their growth on and off the pitch by reaching, and making their mark in, this year’s play-offs.
Ted Chapelhow said: “I think I’ve had one of my better years, and I have never tasted play-off rugby, so I’m especially gutted about what has happened.
“But I’ll be supporting the boys home and away, and I’m going to enjoy watching.
“The tendons have been ripped off the finger, and I have to look longer term, so I need to get it sorted.
“I’ve been lucky not to have had a bad injury before and there are hungry lads on the sidelines waiting to prove a point.”