Owen to keep Oldham’s captain’s armband for 2020 season

GARETH Owen will continue as Oldham captain for the 2020 Betfred Championship season, coach Matt Diskin has confirmed.

The 27-year-old hooker was first appointed skipper by former boss Scott Naylor in 2017, replacing Lewis Palfrey when the halfback made the switch to local rivals Rochdale Hornets.

Diskin has been in charge at Roughyeds for two months and has seen enough to confirm Owen will remain captain of his hometown club.

“It was an obvious choice,” said Diskin, himself a Super League Grand Final winning number nine who went on to represent Great Britain.

“In the time I’ve spent with the group I’ve seen not only his leadership skills, but also the huge respect in which he is held by the other lads.

“He’s chuffed to keep the job and I know how much it means to him.”

Owen suffered a seasonending injury midway through his first season as skipper, sidelining him for the second half of a year that ultimately ended in relegation to League 1. After two seasons in the third tier, Roughyeds secured promotion back to the Championship with playoff victory over Newcastle Thunder, with Owen making 22 appearances in a season that ended with him lifting the promotion final trophy.

Although he has confirmed his on-field leader, Diskin has not yet made a decision on who will support Owen as vicecaptain. “There are a few leaders in the squad , but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rochdale Hornets have confirmed that Callum Marriott will remain at the Crown Oil Arena in 2020. He’s signed a new one-year deal with the recentlyrelegated club.