DONCASTER have named a strong 19-man squad for tomorrow’s (Sun) big top-four clash with in-form Oldham at the Vestacare Stadium.
It includes five up-and-coming youngsters from Hull FC — prop Lewis Bienek and full-back/wing Jack Sanderson on loan as well as second-row Jack Downs, half-back Liam Harris and hooker Jez Litten on dual-reg.
Bienek (20), who first burst on to the scene at London Broncos, is in line to make his Doncaster debut.
The others are Hull lads, including highly-rated Harris, who was at Doncaster before he signed a two and a half year contract with Hull FC only last month.
Hooker Litten is a former England Academy product.
Chief executive Carl Hall told the club’s website:
“The defeat by Hunslet was gutting for us all. It rocked us a little bit to be honest.
“We’ve had a couple of losses so we need to turn that around.
“I rate Oldham. They’re a well-coached, well-drilled side. They play it tough and you’ve got to play them at their own game.
“Any team getting a result at Oldham is doing okay.”
He said new loan signing Bienek was chased by Wigan, Warrington, St Helens and a couple of NRL clubs before signing for Hull.
Harris, he added, had enjoyed two good Super League performances for Hull against Hull KR and Warrington and he was only back at Doncaster this weekend because he was cup-tied.
Roughyeds, third in Betfred League 1, are aiming for their sixth league win in a row against fourth-placed Doncaster, who are on the same number of points.
Both have won seven and lost three and both have been beaten by the same teams — Hunslet, York and Bradford.
Oldham’s 19-man squad will be announced later today, but it won’t include prop Adam Neal, who has been out for several weeks after being concussed against Keighley.
After his latest visit to a specialist head coach Scott Naylor said: “Adam is now on an assessment path with an estimate of anything between three to eight weeks before he can play.
“It’s all about him and when he feels he is ready. Once he can do serious training without feeling dizzy he can move on to the next stage of the protocol procedure.
“It isn’t known when he’ll be back, but the really positive angle is that he will play again at some point this season.
“That’s the really big positive news both for him and for us.”
