HAVING scored a phenomenal 22 tries in the last two games, Oldham’s players revealed Scott Naylor has told them to throw caution to the wind and play an exciting brand of open and expansive rugby.

They responded with 14 tries in a 72-8 win at West Wales Raiders and another eight in Sunday’s 48-12 triumph against Whitehaven in the first round of the new 1895 Cup.

Roughyeds know they have to keep the performance in Wales in perspective, given that Raiders have lost all eight of their league games, but nothing can diminish the quality of Oldham’s win against the Cumbrians, who currently sit at the top of Betfred League 1 and arrived at the Vestacare Stadium boasting the meanest defence in the division.

The tie was billed as the division’s highest scorers against the division’s best defenders and it was Naylor’s try machine that came out on top – and how.

Centre Jack Holmes and hooker Matty Wilkinson each scored a brace and there were other tries for Danny Langtree, Richie Hawkyard, Kyran Johnson and Paul Crook, who also kicked beautifully to land all eight conversions for a personal points haul of 20 out of his side’s 48.

Full-back Hawkyard, the side’s jumping jack-in-a-box who never knows when he’s tackled, won the man-of-the-match award and it was at his post-match presentation he revealed how the emphasis is now on throwing the ball around and making opponents do a lot of chasing in defence.

“The game plan was to throw the ball about because Scott wants us to play a bit more expansively,” he said. “There were times when we were a bit sloppy and we went in at half time thinking we would get a roasting.

“Far from it. Scott wanted more of the same and he said the more we played like that the better we’d become at it.”

Crook, who doubles up as a member of the coaching team, took up the theme after receiving the club’s ‘champagne moment’ award for his try and eight goals.

He said: “We owed our fans a performance like that and hopefully there will be more to come.

“Like Richie said, Scott wanted us to throw the ball about. He knows there will be times when something goes wrong, but we then have to work hard to defend our line.”

Oldham did that too, restricting ‘Haven to two tries and rendering them scoreless in the second half.

Later that evening, Naylor’s men were even in luck in the second-round draw when they were paired at home again, against fellow League 1 club Doncaster.

Of the 16 clubs that went into the hat, 12 were from the Championship, but Oldham defied the odds and were paired with one of the other three League 1 clubs.

If they beat Doncaster they will be two games from Wembley and the fulfilment of a sporting dream.

Team: Hawkyard; Johnson, McComb, Holmes, Maders; Crook, Hewitt; Joy, Owen, Spencer, Bridge, Langtree, Bent. Subs: Law, Gwaze, Wilkinson, Whittel.

Scorers: Tries – Langtree (3 mins), Hawkyard (8), Wilkinson (30, 50), Johnson (39), Holmes (68, 77), Crook (70). Conversions – Crook 8/8.