Okanga-Ajwang set for Roughyeds home debut

SLIDING SCORE: Oldham centre Edwin Okanga-Ajwang will be hoping to put Gateshead to the sword..

TEENAGE centre Edwin Okanga-Ajwang may be given his home debut in Oldham’s first game at Whitebank for five weeks.

Aged 19 and the ‘baby’ of the Roughyeds’ senior squad, Edwin is named among 18 players from whom Scott Naylor will pick his side for Gateshead Thunder’s visit on Sunday (3pm).

He made his first appearance off the bench in the cup win at Egremont on March 15 and got a full game in the next outing at London Skolars, where he scored his first Oldham try.

Naylor chose not to expose him to Super League opposition in the Bradford cup-tie, but he is back in contention this weekend while young prop Paddy Mooney stands down — the only change.

Alex Davidson was 18th man (reserve) at London and Bradford, but it’s difficult to envisage Naylor leaving him out again. He would appear to be the obvious replacement for Mooney.

Key to selection will be the decision on 18th man.

Said Naylor: “It’s important we perform well at home for numerous reasons, not least that we want to encourage fans to come back for more. We had three comfortable wins against Gateshead last year, but they have come on a lot since then. We need to guard against thinking we are going to be playing the team we beat last season.”