Naylor lauds strength in depth

SCOTT Naylor has warned his Oldham RL players will have to scrap for places like they’ve never scrapped before.

His 22-man squad is as big as last year’s, but Naylor wouldn’t swap it for the one that finished second in Championship One in 2013 with the best away record in the division.

“Spot-for-spot there will be a lot more competition this time,” said the Roughyeds coach.

“We set out this year to bring in more quality across the board, which will allow me to happily use every single player in it. That was the aim and I think we’ve achieved it.

“Hopefully it will mean there will always be a replacement of equal ability waiting to get into the side.”

The postponement of the Leigh friendly means it will be three weeks between games by the time Oldham open up their league campaign against South Wales Scorpions in Maesteg on Sunday week, March 2. Only 16 of the 22 men in the squad played in each of the warm-up games against Barrow and Swinton.

Crowley, Mooney and Tom Whitehead turned out in one of them, but club captain Lewis Palfrey, Joy and the latest signing George Tyson have still to make their entrance.

Palfrey didn’t play in the two friendlies because of a problem with a muscle in his lower back, but he was cleared to play against Leigh and will be available for selection in the 18 to travel to South Wales.

Full-back Whitehead is also expected to be up for selection. He missed the Swinton game because of an Achilles injury, but Naylor said it was responding to rest and treatment.