Benson not playing it by numbers

TONY BENSON

THE squad numbers for next season have been released, but Roughyeds coach Tony Benson isn't placing much emphasis on who has snapped up which particular shirt.

The 26-strong line-up doesn't include the five new professionals stepping out of the amateur team, three of who — Mark Smith, Anthony Bingham and Scott Mansfield — have already had a taste of the action during pre-season. Nor is long-term injured winger Ben Seru among them.

Nine of the new recruits to the squad have taken hold of shirts within a strong-looking one to 17, which has the Coyle brothers James and Thomas in the half-backs, Paul Highton and Jamie I'Anson as starting prop forwards, Danny Halliwell in the centres rather than at second row and captain Robert Roberts in at loose forward. Two men, Phil Joseph (22) and Marcus St Hilaire (24) specifically requested their own numbers outside the initial 17.

The players, each of who will have their names displayed on the back of their jerseys, will stick with their specified number throughout the 2009 season.

But while the listing has only just been released by the club, the squad was submitted to the RFL some time ago.

Benson admits his ideas on his best team have changed as a result of the three friendly clashes Oldham have subsequently played in.

"To be honest it all means very little," said the Roughyeds coach.

"We submitted the squad numbers before any of our pre-season games had been played and things have changed a lot in my mind since then.

"It is more important to the players than to me. I will be picking the best 17 players regardless of what number they have on their back."

While Smith, Bingham and Mansfield don't yet have a number to their name, they will do so if and when they have played in four first-team matches, as per guidelines put forward by the RFL. The same is true of the other first-time professionals, Chris Clarke and Ben Heaton.

Oldham squad numbers for the 2009 season —

1. Paul O'Connor, 2. Andy Ballard, 3. Danny Halliwell, 4. Paul Reilly, 5. Lee Greenwood, 6. James Coyle, 7. Thomas Coyle, 8. Paul Highton, 9. Gary Sykes, 10. Jamie I'Anson, 11. David Allen, 12. Tommy Goulden, 13. Robert Roberts, 14. Richard Mervill, 15. Jason Boults, 16. Wayne Kerr, 17. Craig Robinson, 18. Neil Roden, 19. Craig Littler, 20. Simeon Hoyle, 21. Lucas Onyango, 22. Phil Joseph, 23. Chris Baines, 24. Marcus St Hilaire, 25. Luke Menzies, 26. Luke Sutton.