Naylor poised to ring the changes

Date published: 10 May 2013


THERE could be up to three new faces in the Oldham RL team at Hemel Stags on Sunday.

Danny Whitmore plus two dual registered players from Salford City Reds are in the selection frame as coach Scott Naylor makes changes.

Loan-player Whitmore trained with the Roughyeds last night to stake his claim for a half-back spot on the trip to Hertfordshire.

Apart from promising 19-year-old hooker Adam Files, who is on long-term loan from Salford, Naylor hasn't chosen to use players from the Roughyeds' Super League partner club since the opening day of the season.

After seven games in three competitions – with four wins and three losses the result – he will again take advantage of dual-registration regulations.

Naylor, disappointed by Oldham’s performance in an 18-16 defeat by Oxford last time, said: "There will be changes. There are no injury problems so I'm choosing from a full squad.

Files has scored a try in each of his last four games. Naylor added: "We are perhaps a little bit low on confidence at the moment, but we are not far off. We just need to be more clinical near our opponents' line.

"Hemel have won three of their four league games and they only lost the other by one point.

"They are a big, athletic set who can score points.”

"It's a long way to travel and we've got a tough test at the end of it, but we'll be out to put the Oxford defeat behind us.”