PROP Liam Kirk, who has missed the last four games with a head injury (concussion), is back in the Roughyeds’ 21-man squad for Sunday’s last home game of the season against Newcastle Thunder at Bower Fold (3pm).
Fellow-prop Tyler Dupree, who was concussed against Featherstone and didn’t play in last week’s game at Widnes, is also included.
Kirk relaces Jode Sheriffe in the only change to last week’s provisional 21.
Squad: D Abram, J Abram, Bent, Bridge, Brierley, Charnock, Dupree, Gregory, Hartley, Hewitt, Holcroft, Ince, Jinks, Joy, Kirk, Langtree, Nelmes, Owen, Reilly, Roberts, Spence.
The side is sure to show significant changes from that beaten 40-6 at Newcastle in June because four players who were in the side at Kingston Park — centre Ben Heaton, half-back James Barran, second-row man Shaun Pick and sub forward Matthew Fletcher, now at Dewsbury Rams — are not in the 21, most of them because of injury
Those in the 21 who didn’t play in the North-East include Gareth Owen, Danny Bridge, Tyler Dupree, Dave Hewitt and on-loan Harvey Spence.
Prop Phil Joy, fully fit now, fractured an elbow at Newcastle in only his second game back after missing the first ten with other injuries.
Several of the Thunder players have been full time for much of this season and the club will go fully full time in the autumn, having previously announced publicly that they aim to be enjoying Super League status and success within the next few years.
Young centre Sam Halsall, on loan from Wigan, was named their man of the match at Kingston Park, but it was half-back Josh Woods, also from Wigan, who did most of the damage.
He was the dominant partner in a half-back combination with Jake Shorrocks, yet another Wiganer.
Shorrocks and Woods were the Thunder halves last Sunday when York City Knights won 29-16 in the North-East.
Despite their wealth, their links with Wigan through Denis Betts, and their vast Super League experience, they’ve lost 11 of their 18 Championship games — proof yet again of burgeoning tier-two standards and abilities.
Under-16s go FREE to Sunday’s Bower Fold game, while normal admission prices apply to everyone else. Tickets can be bought online via the Roughyeds ticket page or fans can pay at the turnstiles.
Squads
Match Officials
- Referee: J Smith
- Touch Judges: C Sharrad, S Ellis
