Kilshaw wants “managed emotions” in Oldham clash and lifts lid on Galbraith
Rochdale boss Alan Kilshaw has called for calm ahead of their trip to face Oldham this weekend.
There is a history of ill-feeling between the two sides, but Kilshaw is keen for his team to stay disciplined against their big rivals.
“We’ve beaten them twice, one in the Law Cup, one in the Bash and we drew with them at home and there’s been a lot of stuff off the field as well,” he said.
“We’ve got to make sure we manage our emotions well. It will be a fiery clash – there is no love lost between the two sets of players and we’ve got to make sure that we are focused on the eighty minutes and not the other stuff that I’m sure will get built up around the game.
“There are a couple of things that have happened this season – the Law Cup with Tyson incident and obviously Galbraith, this case that’s been hanging over us as well. The Bash game was pretty fiery.
“It’s a rivalry if it’s healthy. We don’t want players getting sent off. Cool heads will be needed. We’ve had the edge over them but can’t be complacent. They ran Sheffield pretty close and they just scored a try at the end to blow it out.
“It will be tough, they are a good team at home. They beat Toulouse at home, beat Bradford at home and ran London close. It’s a good ground for them.”
Regarding the Galbraith case Kilshaw added: “We had a strong case and it got quashed in the week. There are no winners in a case like, that but for him to ever get banned – the evidence was so inconsistent.
“The referee was there, the touch judges were there. I don’t want to go into the case too much. He’s a good kid. We wouldn’t accept what had been alleged, we wouldn’t accept it in this club.
“We’ve got a strong culture and a diverse playing group and I know Lewis. I haven’t just coached Lewis for two years here, I had him in Australia as well with me and he’s a good kid.
“The disappointing thing was that it was published in the Oldham Chronicle on the back page the day before the first tribunal, which is his hometown, so he suffered abuse there.
“His mum works in a primary school, she’s had a lot of questions and people asking her stuff. That was probably most disappointing out of all of it and for it to last eight weeks, and we talk about player welfare. Something like that hanging over a 23 year-old, that’s poor.
“The lad is 23 and just wants to play rugby.”
The game between Oldham and Rochdale takes place at Bower Fold this Sunday, 23rd July (3.00 pm).
