Oldham RL Club have moved what could be a crucial Boundary Park clash with joint title favourites Dewsbury Rams from the night of Easter Monday, April 13 (8.00pm kick-off) to the following Sunday, April 19 when all clubs had a free date.

By switching a key game to a blank Sunday afternoon (3.00pm kick off), Roughyeds believe it will be to everyone's advantage rather than kicking-off at 8 o'clock at night, albeit on a Bank Holiday.

There is a "history" to this fixture. Oldham Athletic are at home on Easter Monday afternoon so Oldham asked the Rugby League for an away game on that date.

When the fixtures were published Roughyeds were given a Boundary Park clash with Dewsbury, kicking-off ay 3.00pm, and after talks with both the RFL and Athletic it was later announced that Roughyeds would play at night with an 8.00pm kick-off.

Given that this would involve a massive operation to get the stadium and the pitch ready for the rugby game in time, with little over two hours available to groundstaff, Roughyeds said they were indebted to the football club for their willingness to have a go.

Oldham have since had second thoughts, however, and with the agreement of the RFL and of Dewsbury Rams they have abandoned the Easter Monday night plans and, instead, have made use of the free Sunday on the following weekend.

Chief executive Chris Hamilton said: "The more we thought about this, the more we realised it would be better all round to go for the following Sunday.

"In the first place we asked the RFL not to give us a home game, then when we went for an 8.00pm kick off we knew it was always going to be logistically difficult to stage at that time after Latics had played earlier in the day.

"Kicking off at that time on a Bank Holiday is far from ideal and when we thought about our fans and sponsors --- and about the desperately tight schedules groundstaff would have to apply to mark the pitch, clear the stands, clean out the dressing rooms and generally get things ready again -- we felt it made sense to use the blank Sunday just a few days later.

"We discussed it with both the RFL and Dewsbury and, while it is not ideal to miss out on a home fixture over Easter, we firmly believe in the circumstances that it will be better for everyone if we play on the following Sunday afternoon."