Naylor facing hooker poser

Oldham boss Scott Naylor will face tough team selection decisions over his three hookers, he admits.

All three played in the latest win against Coventry Bears. Gareth Owen started; Adam Files replaced him off the bench midway through the first half and Kenny Hughes got on, also off the bench, for the last 20 minutes.

Naylor said: “We’re in a great position to have three hookers playing so well, but it’s causing me a problem. No two stand out above the other. They’re all playing well, so tough decisions lie ahead.”

Oldham go to Barrow Raiders on Sunday (2pm) in the (quarter-final of the new iPro Sport League One Cup. More changes are on the cards, because Danny Langtree may be fit for his first competitive game of the season after hamstring trouble.

Nathan Mason was rested yesterday, while Naylor might also consider calling on dual-reg assistance from Huddersfield Giants.

If Oldham win at Craven Park, against one of the five sides relegated from the Championship at the end of last season, they will be only 80 minutes away from a final date at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool, as part of the RFL’s Summer Bash for Championship clubs on the weekend of May 23 and 24.

After Barrow, Roughyeds will play their fourth round Ladbrokes Challenge Cup tie on the weekend of March 21 and 22, the draw for which will be made tomorrow at 6.45pm from the Provident Stadium, Bradford.