McNally set for Roughyeds bow

OLDHAM and Hunslet could be forgiven for being sick of the sight of each other.

The Co-operative Championship One clash at the Whitebank Stadium on Sunday (3pm) between the two teams will be the fourth time the sides have met in 2010.

Currently, the balance is in favour of the Hawks with two wins — in the Northern Rail Cup and the Carnegie Challenge Cup — out of the three matches this year, all of which have so far been contested at the South Leeds Stadium.

Coach Tony Benson wouldn't swap wins in those two matches, though, for the one his Oldham team picked up in the league in mid-March.

The Roughyeds performed superbly in that game to deservedly topple a side tipped before the league season started to finish ahead of the pack.

But the Hawks have bounced back.

Including the 42-12 victory over the Roughyeds in the Challenge Cup, they have since won eight games in succession, scoring a barrel-load of points in the process.

Benson will hope for big things from new signing Gregg McNally’s debut.

The prolific Huddersfield Giants half-back arrived at the club on a month's loan earlier this week and will add to the pivot options in what is a crucial period of the season.

And the exciting McNally will be given the opportunity to showcase his attacking skills against two of the division's most talked about midfield generals, Paul and David March.

"It's a big test for us at Oldham," said Hawks player-coach Paul March. "We know a lot about each other.

Veteran hooker Richard Chapman is doubtful for Hawks, who may bring Darren Robinson into the squad as cover and give Luke Haigh the start in the middle of the front-row.

Winger Lucas Onyango is Oldham's top try scorer with 13 - and the ten he has scored in Championship 1 make him the division's try-scoring pace-setter as the season approaches the half-way stage.

"I guess I've got to keep it up if I want to finish the season in front," says the Kenyan, who has scored only once in the three previous games against the Hawks.


Roughyeds will pick from the following 20, comprising the 17 on duty against London Skolars, plus McNally, Luke Sutton and Neil Roden: Ashe, Boults, Chandler, Clarke, Ellison, Fogerty, Gillam, Heaton, Hodson, Kerr, Mansfield, McNally, O'Connor, Onyango, Reilly, Robinson, M Roden, N Roden, Sutton, Whitmore.


Fixtures -

Engage Super League, tonight (all kick-offs 3pm unless stated): St Helens v Hull KR (8pm).

Tomorrow, Engage Super League: Crusaders v Wigan Warriors (6pm); Catalans Dragons v Salford City Reds (8.30pm). The Co-operative Championship: Toulouse v Featherstone Rovers (4pm).

Sunday, Engage Super League: Bradford Bulls v Leeds Rhinos (4.45pm); Castleford Tigers v Hull FC (3.30pm); Wakefield Wildcats v Harlequin (3.30pm); Warrington Wolves v Huddersfield Giants.

The Co-operative Championship: Keighley Cougars v Halifax; Whitehaven v Leigh Centurions; Widnes Vikings v Batley Bulldogs.

The Co-operative Championship One: OLDHAM v Hunslet Hawks; Doncaster v Swinton Lions; Gateshead Thunder v Workington Town; London Skolars v South Wales Scorpions; Hornets RL v York City Knights.