SCOTT Naylor has kept changes to a minimum in his 19-man squad for the big game with Bradford Bulls at the Vestacare Stadium.
There are only two changes after the gutsy performance in a 10-6 defeat at York and one of those is the omission of Paul Crook, who has been battling all week to overcome a foot injury.
Winger Dave Eccleston, who was in the 19 for York but didn’t play, also misses out with Luke Nelmes and Zack McComb coming in.
Squad: Bent, Briscoe, Davies, Hewitt, Hooley, Hughes, Holmes, Johnson, Jones, Joy, Kershaw, Langtree, McComb, Neal, Nelmes, Owen, Reid, Spencer, Wilkinson.
With Gregg McNally out of Bradford’s 19-man squad, Brandon Pickersgill is expected to return to the full-back role.
Sam Hallas and Matt Garside are still out with minor injuries so Jordan Lilley and Matthew Storton are likely to fill-in at hooker and second-row respectively.
Bulls 19: Bustin, Chisholm, Crossley, Egodo, Flanagan, Gibson, Grant, Green, Hitchcox, Keyes, Kirk, Lilley, Milton, Minchella, Peltier, Pickersgill, Ryan, Storton, Wood.
Last season in the Championship Roughyeds beat the Bulls 26-22 but were later pipped 20-16 in the Championship Shield, both games at Bower Fold.
In the 26-22 triumph, on-loan Kieran Gill scored a sensational last-minute winner after being sent clear by Tuoyo Egodo, who plays for the Bulls tomorrow.
It will be their first visit to the Vestacare and in order to get the Bulls accustomed to a tight pitch, coach John Kear has taken them to Dewsbury for a training session.
He told the Telegraph and Argus:
“On any given day Oldham are quite capable of beating York, Bradford or Workington (who have beaten the Bulls home and away this year).
“Believe me, they are a very good rugby league team and we will have to be at our best.
“They are the reverse of York, for whom everything has come down the right side of the ledger on seven out of eight occasions.
“Oldham have had just the opposite of that and they could easily have been in the same position as York.
“They are a tough, go-forward side and we’re going to be asked a lot of questions.”
Points to remember:
- Turnstiles open at 1pm and fans are urged to get there early.
- Normal admission prices and season-ticket arrangements apply.
- You gain access to the social club from inside the ground.
- The club shop will open at 1pm with MASSIVE bargains in an end-of-season sale which includes half-price kit in various sizes, including children’s; new and used rugby balls for £5 and £2; and old programmes going back to Watersheddings days. What memories they spark in those of a certain age !
- You can park at Limehurst Primary School for £3, which will go to school funds.
- As our last home game of the regular season it will be our annual Memorial Match in which we remember the loved ones we have lost since the end of last season.
- You can also pick up from the club shop a ballot paper for your choice of Supporters’ Player of the Year.
