Mervill out of trip to Widnes

RICHARD MERVILL: Niggling knee injury.

OLDHAM will once again be without the services of prop forward Richard Mervill for the trip to Widnes on Friday night.

The 27-year-old former Halifax and Keighley player, a rock in the front row over the past two seasons, has a niggling knee problem which has restricted his pre-season this far.

Mervill has yet to play a game for the club since starting in the number 10 shirt in last year’s National League Two play-off final defeat to Doncaster.

It isn’t, however, thought to be a problem which should keep the player, a member of the NL2 all-star team in 2008, out for too much longer.

Hooker Gary Sykes (knee ligaments) is the other definite absentee for the game at the Stobart Stadium and he is set to spend around a month on the sidelines.

With the Rochdale fixture called off at the weekend, the remainder of the squad currently carrying knocks have enjoyed an extended period of recovery and the hope is that coach Tony Benson will have plenty of options available to him to take on the Northern Rail Cup favourites, for a game which starts at 7.30pm and not 8pm as the original fixture list stipulated.

It is also hoped that training can finally get back to some sort of normality following the big freeze. An outdoor session should go ahead tonight and also on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the rearranged game against the Rochdale club — who are now to be known simply as Hornets RL, following a supporter-led takeover — will definitely be played on Wednesday, February 18 (7.45pm) at Boundary Park.

It means that the Leeds Rhinos friendly originally down to be played the day before will be moved to later on in the season.




A SUPPORTERS’ bus will be running to Widnes on Friday. Picking up at the Black Horse on Ripponden Road at 5.45pm and the Social Club at Werneth at 6pm, the price is £10.



To book, ring Janet on (0161) 628 3677 or Joyce on (0161) 665 1832.