Roughyeds trio face late tests

THREE players face late fitness tests before Roughyeds coach Tony Benson rubber-stamps his 18-man squad to travel to Barrow on Sunday (2pm).

Full-back Paul O’Connor (groin) is set for an examination at training tomorrow morning, as are Chris Baines – whose sternum injury has eased since earlier in the week – and Neil Roden (back).

The provisional group making the journey to the Co-operative Championship club includes four men who didn’t play in the creditable 28-20 loss to Leigh last week.

In come Paul Reilly, back after suffering a knock to his shoulder at work, Luke Sutton, Craig Robinson and Anthony Bingham but out are Danny Halliwell (knee), Lee Greenwood (thigh), Tommy Goulden (foot), Robert Roberts (sciatica), Gary Sykes (knee) and Jason Boults, (elbow).

“Everyone not playing at Barrow should be fit for the Rochdale game except for Richard Mervill and Gary Sykes,” said Benson, whose men are set to face the Hornets in the first Northern Rail Cup game of the season at Boundary Park on Sunday, February 8.

That competition was officially launched at Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road yesterday – home to the final – with RFL chairman Richard Lewis confirming that the winners will be eligible to apply for a Super League licence in 2011.

All the 18 clubs not involved in the NRC final will enter a side into the Northern Rail 9s, which will be held on the same weekend as the showpiece event on July 11 and 12.