Benson rings changes after double setback
Date published: 25 February 2011
STAND by for changes in the Oldham RL side to face Whitehaven at the Whitebank Stadium on Sunday (3pm) in the Roughyeds' fourth and final Northern Rail Cup pool 2 game.
With only 160 minutes of rugby to be played now before the Roughyeds embark on their Championship One promotion bid, coach Tony Benson will make minor adjustments following two defeats in a row at the hands of Halifax and Swinton.
"I'll pick from 21," he said, "and I'll make changes as we look to settle on a side going into the league programme."
The four players added to last week's 17 are Ben Heaton, Valu Bentley, Dave Ellison and Matty Ashe.
Half-back Ashe played in 22 of the Roughyeds' 28 games last year.
He has made two pre-season appearances but he has yet to play in the Northern Rail Cup. Ashe was 18th man against Hunslet and Swinton.
Full-back Heaton was in top form before tweaking a groin in the warm-up at Halifax - a setback that gave Marcus St Hilaire an opportunity to play equally well against Swinton in his first appearance of the season.
Loose-forward Bentley missed that game after being knocked out at Halifax, but he and front-row man Ellison will be strong contenders to return to the side.
Benson's decision last week to switch Ben Wood from centre to second-row, coming off the bench, opened up a chance for Mark Brocklehurst to push his claims for a centre spot.
He responded with two tries to add to the one he scored in his only other previous outing in the Law Cup win against Rochdale in early January.
Wood also gave a strong performance in tandem with Brocklehurst on the right side.
Unlike last week, when he had little option but to play two hookers on the bench, Benson will have tough selection decisions to make right across the park as the Roughyeds bid to preserve this season's unbeaten record at Whitebank.
Whitehaven suffered a 50-0 defeat here in the SEAT Trophy game last month, but this time they will field a much stronger team which will include new signing Luke Issaka, an Aussie prop who has already made a big impression at the Recreation Ground.
Whitehaven coach David Seeds has no injuries to deal with, but has been battling to prevent an outbreak of flu spreading through his squad.
Seeds said: “We are trying to limit people with signs of flu from coming to training, but we should be fine by Sunday.”
Whitehaven’s scheduled game against Halifax last week was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, and Seeds admitted to being frustrated.
He added: “It is a shame that the Halifax match was off because we had built up some momentum.
“It is a case of trying to keep the boys at that level ahead of Sunday.”
Seed’s side now face three matches in six days.
“It is certainly going to test us,” he said.
