On-loan Spence in unchanged 21

HARVEY Spence could be playing for Roughyeds against his parent club when high-flying Featherstone Rovers visit Bower Fold on Sunday (3pm kick-off).

The 20-year-old half-back, who has joined Oldham on loan, made his debut against Betfred Championship leaders Toulouse Olympique last week.

He keeps his place in an unchanged 21-man squad, which comprises of the 17 who produced a spirited performance against the French full-timers in a 6-34 defeat plus Joe Hartley, Declan Gregory, Brad Jinks and Jode Sheriffe.

Squad: D Abram, Bent, Bridge, Brierley, Charnock, Dupree, Gregory, Hartley, Hewitt, Holcroft, Ince, Jinks, Joy, Langtree, Nelmes, Owen, Pick, Reilly, Roberts, Sheriffe, Spence.

Featherstone will pick from these: Hall, Blackmore, Welham, Hardcastle, Gale, Holmes, Chisholm, Kopczak, Brown, Ferres, Lockwood, Jones, Davies, Cooper, Field, Halton, Parata, Ferguson, Doyle, Springer, Walker.

Club officials have confirmed that, although tickets can be bought in advance online via the Roughyeds ticket page, turnstiles will be open as usual on Sunday from 2pm.

Under-16s can again get in free of charge while normal admission prices will apply to everyone else.

Adults can sit for £19 and stand for £17, while usual concessions apply for over-65s.

Steve McCormack

Steve McCormack, son of former Oldham centre Jim McCormack and Head of Welfare at Rugby League Cares, has made an impassioned plea to everyone involved in the game, including fans, to stick together behind the sport at a difficult time.

He has issued a statement in which he says a lot of criticism of the sport on social media is misinformed, unwarranted and unacceptable.