SCOTT Naylor has named the boxes Oldham need to tick if they are to succeed where Bradford Bulls failed and return from Workington on Sunday with two precious league points in the bag.
“We’ve got to be tough, physically and mentally, and we’ve got to be good in the way we play,”
said the Roughyeds boss, as he targets a second win in Cumbria this season, following the 14-0 victory at Whitehaven on the opening day of the Betfred League 1 campaign.
The squad came through the demanding Challenge Cup tie against Hull KR with no injury concerns, but Naylor is still waiting for definitive updates on two who didn’t play in that one, Adam Neal and on-loan Kieran Gill.
Both were hurt in the 32-18 home win against Keighley Cougars, prop Neal suffering a concussion and centre Gill having trouble with a knee cap.
“I’m hoping both will be okay, but at this stage I don’t know,”
said Naylor after last night’s training session.
“On Kieran I’m waiting to hear an update from Castleford and I’ll know more about Adam at Thursday’s training session.”
Of the task that awaits Roughyeds in Cumbria at weekend, he added:
“The long journey doesn’t help so we need to get off early and arrive in plenty of time, get switched-on mentally and physically and be ready for a tough game.
“They beat the Bulls up there so they’ve shown they can be a match for anyone in this division.
“Like both Cumbrian teams, they play better at home than away, but they do tend to be inconsistent at times.
“Whenever you go to Workington though you know it’s going to be tough, but there’s no reason we can’t beat them although we’ll have to play well.
“We won at Whitehaven and there’s no reason why we can’t complete a Cumbrian double.”
