Injury worries for Oldham

OLDHAM RL Club’s medical team will have plenty of work ahead of them this week in preparing a squad for Sunday’s opening Co-operative Championship One game against Gateshead Thunder at the Whitebank Stadium.

Ben Wood (ankle), Marcus St Hilaire (ribs) and Tom Wood-Hulme (shoulder) were all hurt yesterday in the 28-16 win against a good Hunslet Warriors side in the third round of the Carnegie Challenge Cup. “It’s too early to be talking of their chances for Sunday, but we’ll monitor them during the week and see how they go,” said coach Tony Benson.

Regular wingers John Gillam and Lucas Onyango will miss the league kick-off, Gillam with a fractured eye socket and Onyango because he will be serving the second of a two-game RFL ban.

Mark Brocklehurst and teenager Matthew Fogarty deputised on the flanks and both were among the side’s better performers on a day when the amateurs of Hunslet Warriors made Roughyeds battle every inch of the way.

Danny Whitmore, Liam Gilchrist, Alistair Williams and Matty Ashe all missed out on selection, while Andy Isherwood was given last week off because his wife was in hospital.

Despite the injuries, Benson will have options for the weekend although he could be running out of backs soon if St Hilaire is going to be out for any length of time with his rib injury.

The Reserves begin their league programme at York City Knights on Thursday (8pm kick-off) and coach John Hough will be looking for a better performance than the one at Keighley last Thursday night.