Oldham head coach Sean Long has confirmed that loanee centre Nene Macdonald has returned to Australia and will miss the final game of his three-match deal from Salford Red Devils.
Macdonald has played two of the three games originally planned in his stint at Oldham but has now gone back home for the birth of his child.
He featured in Oldham’s 1895 Cup quarter-final victory over Barrow Raiders two weeks ago and followed that appearance up with his first Championship game against Featherstone Rovers last weekend.
Oldham boss Long admitted that he assumed he would make their Good Friday fixture against Widnes Vikings, but understands his reasoning for cutting the loan deal short.
Salford Red Devils’ Nene Macdonald returns to Australia after Oldham loan
Speaking to Oldham’s media, he said: “I thought he was going to play against Widnes. It was meant to be for three games.
“It’s just come a little bit earlier than we thought, so he’s had to go home and see his apprentice. We wish him all the best.”
It’s still unclear as to where MacDonald will end up once he returns to the UK.
He’s still a Salford Red Devils player but with their current salary cap restrictions, there have been plenty of rumours surrounding Macdonald’s future away from the club.
Long stated that he will be keeping in touch with him and would welcome him back at Oldham should he want to return to the club.
Long added: “Obviously, when he comes back, he’s still Salford’s player, so we’ll be keeping tabs on him.
“I’ll be keeping in touch with him to see how he’s going and if or when he comes back, we’ll see how it goes.”
Salford still remain under salary cap restrictions following their takeover.
News of fellow centre Deon Cross not training is the latest update from the Salford camp.
International Rugby League
NRL star granted permission to switch allegiance to England ahead of Ashes
