Oldham forward expected to miss the rest of the season

Oldham prop Phil Joy worked so hard over the last three months to regain fitness following a badly dislocated shoulder sustained in a February home defeat to London Broncos.

Sadly, the luckless forward suffered a recurrence of the injury during his comeback game against Batley Bulldogs at the Manchester Regional Arena and will now require surgery.

Everything had been going to plan for Joy. He started the game, laid the platform and by the time his first stint had finished, Oldham led 22-10. He returned with five minutes gone of the second half before his second spell on the field was cut short.

Post game Oldham boss Scott Naylor wasn’t hopeful of his chances of playing again this season.

“He’ll be gone for the season,” he said. “He’d been out for ten or twelve weeks with a busted shoulder and that was his first game back.

“You can see what he brings to us and his attitude has been amazing while he’s been off, but we knew that was a risk. Phil knew it was a risk. Phil wanted to play and the surgeon told him it was a risk, but the surgeon also told him he could play.

“It’s just one of those things. He could have played ten games and been fine or it could have gone in one game. Unfortunately it has gone and he’ll now be gone for the season.”