Benson plays it safe

Coach wary of injury situation
ROUGHYEDS coach Tony Benson won’t take any risks with his star players this weekend.

For the first of two trips to Blackpool on consecutive weekends, Oldham are competing in the second Northern Rail Nines competition which in 2010 takes place over one day (Saturday) at the Memorial Ground at Fylde.

Last season’s event was, if anything, a very moderate success overall but a disaster for the Roughyeds, with a series of poor performances adding to the overall gloom which then hung over the club.

Now, though, things appear far brighter on and off the field and tough small-sided matches against Featherstone, Sheffield and Barrow look set to provide a chance for fringe players to impress — particularly with a big Co-operative Championship One fixture against Blackpool Panthers at the same venue on Sunday week at the back of Benson’s mind.

“We have quite a few injuries at the moment and the medical team are really busy,” said Benson, who has Gregg McNally (hand), Neil Roden (shin), Marcus St Hilaire (groin), Lucas Onyango (ankle), Paul O’Connor (neck) and Valu Bentley (back) all struggling after the 42-30 win over Swinton.

“So we have to assess those first and need to be fairly smart knowing that we have a big game coming up (against Blackpool Panthers on Sunday week).

“It is a good opportunity for a run-out for the players who can play a different sort of game.

“But we have got to be clever as well.”

Alistair Williams, Michael Cadd, Scott Mansfield and Johnny Walker are among the young men who have performed well for John Hough’s reserves side lately and could be among those players to step up to the Nines squad.

“We have four reserve graders training with us now, who are certainly putting some pressure on those players in front of them,” Benson added.

“I think it is working and that those guys in the reserves are really fighting for a spot.

“The best player of the game on Saturday (Scott Mansfield) was 18th man against Swinton and it was the same the week before.

“They are in the frame and there will be more, because that is how you find out if they are ready or not.”