Benson looks for pointers

RARING TO GO: Among Oldham Roughyeds new recruits are, left to right: Saqib Murtza, Valu Bentley, Dave Ellison, Danny Whitmore, Joe Chandler, Chris Brand and Kashley Watkins

TONY BENSON admits he is entering unknown territory as he attempts to wrest back the Law Cup this weekend.

Hornets RL provide the opposition for the Roughyeds at Spotland on Sunday (3pm) in the traditional curtain-raiser to the season, with Oldham looking to come out on top for the first time since the 2004 season.

With a host of new players, Benson will use an occasion sure to be full of blood and thunder to learn more about what his new men can do.

Of the nine fresh signings in a 23-strong squad — encompassing Ben Heaton and Chris Clarke, both of whom step up into the main squad for 2010 — seven are set to be thrust into battle in the first of the Roughyeds’ three pre-season friendlies.

Former Warrington academy prop forward Ben Mellor is away in Australia and ex-Salford hooker Danny Whitmore serves a one-match ban, leaving Benson to cast a watchful eye over Valu Bentley, Dave Ellison, Kashley Watkins, Joe Chandler, Jack Graves, Saqib Murtza and Chris Brand.

“A lot of it will be trial and error as I haven’t seen some of these players in action other than in training,” said Benson, whose preparations for the forthcoming season have been hampered recently by a lack of useable outdoor pitches due to the bad weather.

“I have been very pleased with the sessions we have done, as they have been very competitive.

“We will now be looking at various different combinations to see what works and what doesn’t.

“As well as being a good run-out for them, what it will also help to gauge is whether we need to bring in other players.”

While young second-year professionals Ben Heaton and Chris Clarke step up to full first-team duties for the first time, a host of other players are out of contention for the Hornets clash.

In addition to Mellor and Whitmore, Craig Robinson is away in Australia and Paul Reilly, who is doubling up as assistant coach in 2010, has only done limited training.

Neil Roden (ankle), Marcus St Hilaire (calf) and Craig Littler (hamstring) have minor niggles and won’t be risked for a game in which both coaches have agreed to have up to seven players on the replacements benches.

New Hornets coach John Stankevitch, meanwhile, isn’t about to take things easy at the weekend.

He is set to put out his strongest squad, which could include names like former Swinton hooker Phil Wood and ex-Widnes forward Michael Ostick, among others.

Stankevitch was in a similar situation to his opposite number Benson in that he was forced to embark on a recruitment drive late on in the close season in comparison to other Co-operative Championship One clubs — even to the extent that he arranged a special trial match for prospective players.

Former Roughyeds players Gareth Hayes and Dean Gorton could turn out but David Best, Paul Anderson, Wayne Corcoran, Andrew Isherwood, Martin McLoughlin and Ian Sinfield all left Spotland in the off-season.

Oldham (from): O’Connor, Onyango, Heaton, Ward, Ashe, Barrowclough, Sykes, M Roden, Bentley, Kerr, Boults, Ellison, Watkins, Chandler, Graves, Brand, Murtza, Brand, Clarke, Smith, Mansfield, Kinney.

Tickets for the game are priced at £10 adults and £5 concessions.