RHYS Lovegrove, Keighley Cougars’ new head coach, has made half a dozen changes in his 19-man squad for Sunday’s game at Oldham.
Lovegrove (32), an Aussie, joined Cougars as assistant coach in January and now succeeds the sacked Craig Lingard with 74-year-old Phil Larder appointed as director of coaching to work closely with the Australian.
A former player with St George-Illawarra, he came to the UK in 2007 and spent nearly a decade with Hull KR.
Both Oldham and Keighley are bidding to come back positively after heavy defeats last week, Roughyeds after a 31-0 defeat at Doncaster and Cougars after losing 34-0 at Hunslet.
Scott Naylor has said he will be looking to make changes and Lovegrove has already done it.
Benn Hardcastle and Matt Nicholson are out through injury; Louis Sheriffe is working; on-loan Harvey Hallas has been recalled by Dewsbury Rms for their trip to Toronto Wolfpack.
Taylor Prell and Kieran Moran are left out.
Cougars squad: Aitchison, Bailey, Cooke, Coventry, Crotty, Cullimore, Dixon, Feather, Hallet, Horn, Lynam, Miller, Muranka, Parker, Seeley, Thackray, Welham, Wray, Wright.
Roughyeds will announce their squad of 19 after tomorrow’s Captain’s Run.
Fans are reminded that pay-at-the-gate supporters who attend this Sunday’s game will get a voucher for half-price admission at the next home game against West Wales Raiders on Sunday, June 30.
In lieu of that, season-ticket holders will get an additional 20 per cent off 2019 merchandise which is already discounted.
