Whitmore on the way back

OLDHAM hooker Danny Whitmore, who hasn't played first-team rugby since he was injured at Doncaster on June 5, is named in a 20-man Roughyeds reserves squad for tonight's clash with Featherstone Rovers at Whitebank (7.45pm kick- off).

Young prop Tom Wood-Hulme will have his second run out after a three-month injury absence as John Hough's in-form under-23s, who ended Widnes's unbeaten run last Saturday, go for their sixth win in a row.

Utility forward Danny Langtree, a sub at Widnes, is out with an ankle injury, but Whitmore, forward Liam Bland and wingers Terry Bridge and Lewis Brookes are back in the reckoning.

Squad: Nield, Cotton, Headen, Cookson, Williams, Connick, Dallimore, Joy, Dean, Eyres, Ward, Knight, Thompson, Hughes, Wood-Hulme, Barber, Whitmore, Bland, Bridge, Brookes.

Hough said: "We're on a roll and if we want to make it a super six we need to maintain the levels we reached at Widnes.

Roughyeds, third in the reserve division, have won eight of their last nine league games, the one defeat in that period being a narrow 30-26 loss at Leigh on May 22.

Added Hough: "We've played some outstanding rugby this year, producing some of the best performances since we launched the reserves in 2008.

"However, we must maintain momentum – and the rest of this month is crucial because we have consecutive home games against Featherstone, Whitehaven and Leigh."