Bright sparks on collision course

NEIL RODEN . . . likely to be back in action on Sunday.

NORTH Wales forward Anthony Morrison could be forgiven for thinking he has one foot in the Oldham Roughyeds camp.

Oldham born and bred, 21-year-old Morrison works for a local electrical company owned and run by Phil Costin, coach of the Roughyeds’ under-18s squad and his former mentor at Saddleworth Rangers.

Among Morrison’s team mates in those early days at Saddleworth was Shaun Robinson, now a Roughyeds’ winger and, like Morrison, employed by Costin at Hillcrest Electrical Contracting.

“We all go back a long way together,” said Morrison.

Oldham, without a win for six matches, will be out to avenge the Welsh team’s 36-32 victory at Whitebank five weeks ago when Morrison crowned an impressive show in the Crusaders’ second-row with a second-half try.

Roughyeds have confirmed club skipper Neil Roden has fully recovered from the torn thigh muscle that has kept him sidelined for nine weeks, during which time Tony Benson’s men have drawn one and lost five league games.

The 31-year-old influential half-back has had a stomach bug all week, but he is expected to return to the side for the first time since he was injured in the opening minutes of the game at Rochdale on Good Friday.

Benson won’t finalise his line-up until training tomorrow. Crusaders hope to be at full strength.


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