Injury nightmare for Oldham chief

ROUGHYEDS coach Tony Benson will work his way through an horrific list of injuries before naming a side to play Keighley this weekend.

A total of no less than FOURTEEN players are nursing injuries of one sort or another, with five men picking up knocks following a disappointing Northern Rail Nines exit to Rochdale yesterday.

Lucas Onyango (elbow), James Coyle (hamstring), Tommy Goulden (calf), Paul O’Connor (ankle) and Scott Mansfield (shoulder) are the newest casualties, adding to Luke Menzies (ankle), Paul Highton (knee), Phil Joseph (groin), Paul Reilly (nose), Marcus St Hilaire (Achilles and calf), Wayne Kerr (ankle), Chris Clarke (broken thumb), Neil Roden (shoulder) and Jamie I’Anson, who heads back to hospital for a further scan on a suspected fractured forearm today.

Add to that mix Danny Halliwell, who is likely to pick up a suspension tomorrow night of between two and eight games, Craig Littler, who is still on loan at Swinton and the recently departed captain Robert Roberts — said to be attracting attention from losing Northern Rail Cup finalists Barrow — and the extent of Benson’s selection problems for what is a crucial home clash with the Cougars become clear.

Keighley are currently second in the Co-operative Championship One table, a place and a point ahead of the Roughyeds, who make a welcome return to Boundary Park on Sunday.

Barry Eaton’s side reached the same stage of the Northern Rail Nines Plate competition as Oldham, losing 20-10 to eventual winners Halifax.

Roughyeds chief executive Chris Hamilton, now installed as RFL president, gave the thumbs up to the Nines concept.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for clubs and fans, players and coaches, to get together during the course of a weekend that offers a different kind of competition and a different kind of rugby,” said Mr Hamilton.

“I have no doubt there have been some teething troubles, but generally the event seems to have worked really well.”