Oldham’s bustling second-row forward, who has come to the fore with stand-out performances in recent weeks, picked up a groin strain in training and could miss the last-16 clash.
With on-loan prop Luke Menzies cup-tied and Ian Hodson not having been registered prior to the deadline for this stage of the competition, Roughyeds coach Steve Deakin is once again down to the bare bones in the pack.
He may have to turn to veteran Simon Baldwin, who played his first rugby since February in a reserve-team run-out last night.
Matty Brooks and Tommy Grundy also turned out in the second team’s 56-4 defeat to Salford at Sedgley Park, and the latter will definitely feature at Dewsbury.
“If we have to call on Simon, I don’t think fitness will be an issue,” said Deakin, who will delay naming his team until after tomorrow morning’s final training session.
“Getting up to the speed of the game may be an issue, but if your hands are tied, your hands are tied.
“I was pleased with all three efforts last night.”
Alex Wilkinson is still unavailable due to shift patterns with the police, Warren Stevens is awaiting a doctor’s report after suffering a blackout at home and Lee Wingfield was kept out of the reserves action last night after suffering a slight reaction to the knee injury which kept him out for 12 months.
Add in Daryl Cardiss’s shoulder reconstruction, which means he is some way off a return, and both Gareth Langley and Craig Littler, on the short-term injured list, and it means that Deakin may only be picking from 18 fit players this weekend.
“Next week we will definitely have Adam Robinson back as well as Ian Hodson and Luke Menzies, but this weekend we are struggling for numbers,” Deakin added.
“This is a competition we we want to do well in, though, and getting through to the quarter-finals would be great for the club.”
Oldham (from): O’Connor, St Hilaire, Halliwell, Nanyn, Onyango, Roberts, Coyle, Boults, Hoyle, Mervill, Goulden, Robinson, Joseph, Roden, Baines, Tamghart, Baldwin, Grundy, Brooks.
