Heading into the unknown

Scott Naylor: mystery opponents

OLDHAM journey into the unknown on Sunday with their first visit to Cheltenham to play the University of Gloucestershire All Golds.

You can count the things they know about the All Golds on the fingers of one hand.

They remember Kiwi coach Brad Hepi as a tough-tackling mean machine in his playing days.

They know centre Callum Mulkeen is a pacy outside back who last season turned out several times for Roughyeds reserves.

And they are now aware of full-back Phil Cowburn – an Oldham-born Roughyeds fan who used to play rugby union for Rochdale. They know also the All Golds have yet to win at home.

"Apart from little bits like that we know... nothing," said Roughyeds coach Scott Naylor.

"With that in mind we will be focusing on ourselves in training and trying to do things better than we have been doing in the last couple of weeks."

Naylor won't announce his line-up until training tomorrow, but prop Liam Gilchrist is still out with a damaged calf muscle and hooker Sam Gee is doubtful with a shin injury.

But Naylor’s squad isn’t short of hookers: Adam Files and Kenny Hughes are more than capable of stepping in.

The Roughyeds boss is expected to pick from the 17 beaten by Hunslet Hawks last week in the Challenge Cup, plus Neil Roden, Steven Nield and Michael Ward.

Having been beaten by Rochdale at Whitebank in their only other league game so far, Oldham can’t afford to slip up again.

Naylor will be keen to shore up a defence that has conceded an average 25 points a game in six cup and league outings.