‘Robbo’ targets Roughyeds recall

CRAIG ROBINSON was an unlucky man not to have kept his place in the side for the Swinton game, conceded Roughyeds coach Tony Benson.

The grafting 23-year-old forward was one of the side’s best performers in the home defeat to Dewsbury, but dropped out of the matchday squad the following week when Tommy Goulden and captain Robert Roberts returned to the starting line-up in the second row.

With prop duo Wayne Kerr and Jamie I’Anson in on the replacements’ bench, it came down to a straight choice between Chris Baines and Robinson as to who should sit alongside them — with the former Warrington academy man getting the nod.

“It was a tough call as Craig had been playing so well for us,” admitted Benson, who takes charge of the first of this week’s two training sessions tonight ahead of the game at London Skolars on Saturday.

“But coming into the game, we felt that Chris Baines would just suit the game that we wanted to play against Swinton.

“We wanted to go in with a big pack and consequently didn’t need Robbo to act as a front rower, so we went for Bainesy instead.”

Robinson could come back into the picture for the game in the capital against a Skolars side which has lost every one of its matches this season.

Marcus St Hilaire’s hamstring problem will be looked at tonight to give an indication as to whether he will be able to make the trip south, as will Paul Reilly’s ankle injury which kept him out of the Lions match.

Phil Joseph remains a big doubt, though, due to his injury around the hip and groin area. Physio Rachael Johnson will work with Joseph in order to attempt to discover what is causing the player such discomfort, with one possibility being that he has sustained a hernia.