Spotlight on Nathan Roebuck | Oldham RLFC

WHAT can we tell you about Nathan Roebuck that you don’t already know? Well, for starters, his background and story is the principle behind everything Mike Ford does – the principle that Oldham boys should feel the urge to play for their hometown club, which in turn its, it should be “big enough” to attract them.

As a town Oldham ranks alongside Leigh, Wigan, St Helens or parts of Cumbria as a place where local boys are brought up in rugby league and in recent years Super League scouts from Wigan, Saints, Salford and Warrington have arrived in the city in their city. drive every Sunday morning to watch our best kids sell mannequins, belt heavy, show they know how and when to pass, take a big ball at top speed or produce the ball handling skills of a Terry Flanagan or Brian McTigue.

The days of loose-forwards producing moves behind the No.7 scrum or prop-forwards almost making a ball talk may be gone forever, but there’s always room for the X-factor lad – and indeed there must be just look at any top-flight Super League or Championship side to find someone there who learned their trade at Waterhead, Saddleworth or St Anne’s, writes ROGER HALSTEAD.

The number of local lads who have been lured into Super League is phenomenal and even Leeds Rhinos, from the ‘wrong’ or ‘other’ side of the hill as some would say, have set up camp here in the hope of finding another Kevin. Sinfield, Iestyn Harris or Barrie McDermott. They may have found one in young Jack Sinfield. Time will tell.

Ford wants to change that mass exodus of talent, but is realistic enough to know that if he is to capture some of it, he will have to take the Roughyeds up the ladder, out of League One and into a situation in which at least it has. a fighting chance to compete with the big boys.
Meanwhile, the local boys who have had a taste of the sea and are now mature and wise enough to know that it’s not all a bed of roses are of particular interest – and that’s where the deer come in.

The 24-year-old is a Grasscroft boy who started at Saddleworth Rangers when he was six. He went to Friezland Primary School, Saddleworth High and Oldham Sixth-form College, signed for Warrington and joined their academy program in his late teens.

Standing at 6ft 5 and weighing 15 stone, he is an impressive and imposing lad who made a Super League appearance for the Wire against Salford at the AJ Bell Stadium. He played on the wing with another Oldham lad, Josh Thewlis, at full-back. Both scored that day and Thewlis, as we know, became an established Wire star, earning an England call-up.

Just to give you an idea of ​​how popular the Oldham lads were at the time, James Greenwood played for Salford and Elibe Dora was on the bench for Warrington, whose head coach supports them, Aussie Steve Price, said that it’s a great time for the club. young Oldhamers.

Andrew Henderson was his assistant boss and when he went to Keighley as director of rugby, Roebuck followed and became a firm Cougar Park fan favourite.

He was there in 2022 when the Cougars hit the headlines by leaving League One, but things didn’t go his way in the Championship in 2023 and he eventually left Keighley with an impressive 15-try haul in 16 games and a winning legacy. he a place in the hearts and minds of Keighley fans. One of his tries came against Oldham at Cougar Park – a special day for the Grasscroft boy.

At the time, Roebuck said he had been playing through trouble and injury and wanted a break from rugby to recharge his batteries and rekindle his love for the sport. He became a science technician at Bluecoat School and started training again at Oldham.

He has never struggled to score tries (career-high 19 in 19 games) and it was no surprise when he scored on his Oldham debut at Gateshead.

He was initially signed for the remainder of this season.

Keighley’s loss is undoubtedly Oldham’s gain – and Fordy is no doubt chuffed to have launched his ‘made in Oldham’ crusade.