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by ROGER HALSTEAD RICHARD Mervill, who hobbled out of the Swinton game last Sunday, has recovered from a leg injury and is among the 20 players from whom coach Steve Deakin will announce his side for Friday's Co-operative NL2 opener against Rochdale Hornets at Spotland (3pm kick off). The only absentees will be the four long-term injury victims -- Lucas Onyango, Lee Wingfield, Ian Sanderson and Daryl Cardiss -- plus Matty Brooks and Simon Baldwin, who are waiting for knee operations. Deaks will chose, therefore, from the 17 players on duty in the 52-10 win at Swinton, plus Tommy Goulden, Tommy Grundy and Warren Stevens. The lighter nights are helping training and providing more time outside on grass with ball in hand -- 45 minutes, in fact, at Noddy's Field last night Said Deaks: "It was a spot-on session and I am delighted with the way things are going as we build-up towards the big kick off in NL2. "We've two games in four days but we won't be prioritising or anything like that. We'll pick what we feel is the right team to get at Rochdale, and that will still leave us with fresh bodies for the Hunslet game. "Anyone who doesn't make the 17 on Friday will play on Monday." Deaks said he and his squad will pay no attention whatsoever to the bookies' assessment that Roughyeds are odds-on favourites to win NL2. He said: "Bookies have a habit of getting it wrong. Last year they had Featherstone to go up automatically, St Helens to win the Super League Grand Final and Widnes to win the NL1 Grand Final. "They don't seem to realise that horse racing and team sports are two very different animals, so the last thing that anybody at Oldham will be taking notice of is what the bookies think about our prospects. "We've done what we have always done for the past two years --- one game at a time, making adjustments either as we think fit or as is dictated by injury as we go along. "I can tell you I am really looking forward to NL2, and so are the boys. The Northern Rail Cup has provided us with an opportunity for the new players to settle in and to integrate and to get used to new methods and new systems. "It has also given them time to get used to me and to what I expect of them, and it has given me time to get used to them and to understand what I can expect of them. "Including the two pre-season games we've had a total of nine games to date -- six in the Northern Rail, two pre-season and one Carnegie Challenge Cup We've won five of the nine and we should have won a couple more, but I'm happy about where we are at the moment. "We've got some injuries, but injuries are part and parcel of the equation and all clubs have injuries to contend with. "I'm happy with our fitness levels and our skill levels and our attitude is good. Overall, I am sure we are ready to launch the season as well prepared as we could possibly be." The Wilbutts Lane stand at Rochdale (the one opposite the main stand) will be open on Friday as well as the main stand and the admission to both will be £12 adults and £8 concessions. Oldham fans intending to go to Salford on Monday for the Reserves match at The Willows (12.30pm kick off) and then dash back to Boundary Park for the Hunslet game should note that they will be initially charged £15 for adults and £9 for concessions, though they will get a 50 per cent refund on the way out. Roughyeds fans are also reminded that one adult and one child can gain admission to the Hunslet game on Monday for a special-offer price of £7 providing they get a voucher first, either from the club in Lansdowne Road, Chadderton before 5pm Thursday or from Multisportz on Shaw Road, Oldham and then exchange it for match tickets before 2.30pm at Boundary Park on Monday. |
