LONDON BRONCOS 38

OLDHAM 24

HE’S 34, a maverick, Aussie-born of Maltese ancestry, and a rugby league player who, even at his age, can command his price.

He was key to London Broncos’ promotion to Super League in 2018 and now he’s back at the capital club of full-time professionals in the hope that he can do it again.

It was typical of the way things are working out for unlucky Oldham this year that classy Jarrod Sammut’s return to the Broncos coincided with the visit of a Roughyeds’ squad that was torn apart by injury.

The maverick controlled this game from stand-off, scoring two tries, assisting in two more and kicking the visitors to death in open play.

Much was always going to depend on how well Oldham would handle Sammut and his silky skills.

In the event, he was the big difference between the sides - and that’s a huge compliment to a Roughyeds side that missed SEVEN senior players, fielded half a dozen youngsters and had a 19-year-old on-loan prop making his debut on the bench.

To hold the full-timers to 14 points in those circumstances was credit to Matt Diskin’s men and hopefully a signal that their very poor performance at Batley last week has now been consigned to the trash bin, never to reappear.

Full-back Callum Green, prop Jack Spencer, back-row forward Danny Langtree and hooker Dec Gregory, off the bench, stood out in a hard-working Oldham side that played with energy, determination and a resolve not to be over-run.

They still made costly errors at crucial times and it might have been so different if they hadn’t ‘gifted’ Broncos three tries due to carelessness, a lack of concentration at times and a tendency to switch-off now and again.

Sammut’s second try ten minutes into the second half followed his interception of Hewitt’s pass when Oldham were attacking and it carried the Londoners into a 30-6 lead that undoubtedly flattered them.

Roughyeds trailed 18-6 at half-time, their points having come from a try from close in by Luke Nelmes, goaled by Green, but at no point in the game did heads drop or energy levels go down.

They were rewarded with three cracking tries in the last 20 minutes by teenager Bibby, Langtree and Hewitt, each converted by Green.

A big, physically mature lad for his age, Bibby didn’t look at all out of his depth in this company. He showed great strength to score and generally acquitted himself well.

Langtree scored a similar try, but the best was saved for last when livewire Gregry unleashed ‘Langers’ in his own half and the former St Helens man made a long break down the left before sending in the supporting Hewitt.

At the other end Egodo completed his hat-trick and London scored a seventh try, but they were certainly given a run for their money by a much-improved Oldham side.

Oldham scorers: goals, Green 4/4; tries, Nelmes (20), Bibby (60), Langtree (70), Hewitt (76).

Team: Green; Brierley, Hartley, Roberts, Holcroft; Charnock. Hewitt; Spencer, Owen, Nelmes, Bent, Langtree, Fletcher; subs, Bibby, Barran, Gregory, Dupree.