Naylor keen to add more Roughyeds
Oldham coach Scott Naylor is after one or two more squad additions as he plans to keep the promoted Roughyeds in the Championship next year.
Oldham will compete in the Championship in 2016 after beating Keighley in the League 1 play-off in October.
The Roughyeds have already made a number of signings with Jon Ford from Salford, Jack Spender from Halifax, Danny Grimshaw from Hunslet, Craig Briscoe from Barrow, Jamel Chisholm from York City and Will Hope all joining the club.
Naylor told Love Rugby League that ideally he would like one or two players for his roster.
“I’ve got 21 lads and I would probably like one more, possibly two, I don’t know,” he said.
“I always go with a small squad at the beginning of pre-season as I always find players appear from nowhere for different reasons.
“I don’t like having a squad fully organized and signed up, I like having the option to go and get different people. So that’s what we’ve done.
“Probably one or two more players would be nice but that comes down to finances and different reasons.
“It has to be right thing for the club and right thing for the squad.
“There’s the possibility there, I’d like to bring more in but they have to be the right people.”
Oldham will be playing their home games at Stalybridge Celtic FC’s Bower Fold in 2016 and will link with Huddersfield Giants for dual registration.
The club’s stated aim is to avoid relegation back down to League 1.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge going in that division,” Naylor admits.
“The teams that have gone into that division before us in previous seasons have obviously realized that and we’re under no illusions.
“It’s going to be difficult for us to stay in that division but that’s the target.
“That’s the task in front of us but we want to put Oldham back to the way it used to be.
“We’ve got to start by staying in the division and improving year on year.
“This is just the start of a big challenge. We’re looking forward to it. It’s exciting.”
Recent salary cap changes to the Championship means the spending gap between the haves and have nots has expanded dramatically.
Naylor, who has been in charge at Oldham for the past three years, knows the likes of the Bulls and Centurions won’t be the Roughyeds main competition.
“Leigh, Bradford, Sheffield, the full-time clubs that are trying to get into Super League, they’re in our division and we’ll have to play them home and away and we’ll give 100 percent against those teams, I’ve got no doubt about that,” the 43-year old said.
“But they’re not the teams that we’re targeting. But we’re looking forward to playing them.
“The money that they’re spending compared to the money that we’re spending is a vast, vast difference.
“Over the length of the season the money that they’ll spend will ensure they finish on top of the division.”
Oldham are six weeks into their pre-season training program and they open the 2016 season at home to London on February 7.
“Everything’s been OK, the lad’s have been training really hard,” Naylor added.
“Everyone’s together, we’ve got no issues, no injuries and no problems at all.
“We’ve got a squad of 21 lads so far and we’re just getting on with things.
“We’re looking forward to the pre-season games and when the league starts.”