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by ROGER HALSTEAD
 
MICK Nanyn, Danny Halliwell and Richard Mervill are back in the Oldham side for Sunday's NL2 clash with York City Knights at Boundary Park.
 
Out of the 17 to make way for their return go injured skipper Robert Roberts, prop Warren Stevens and back-row forward Chris Baines.
 
'Two Bobs' had x-rays on his damaged scaphoid (the bone that links the thumb to the wrist) yesterday, but they were inconclusive. He will now have a bone scan on Monday and if an operation is needed he will have it on Wednesday.
 
Team for Sunday: St Hilaire; Langley, Littler, Nanyn, O'Connor; Roden, Coyle; Boults, Joseph, Mervill, Halliwell, Goulden, Grundy. Subs: Wilkinson, Tamghart, Robinson, Hoyle.
 
Said Tamghart was placed on report for a tackle in last Monday's game against Hunslet, but the RFL has concluded there is no case to answer.
 
In the absence of Roberts, scrum-half James Coyle will captain the side on Sunday when he needs a try to set a record for the new club of having scored at least one try in eight consecutive matches.
 
In nine competitive matches so far this season -- six in the Northern Rail Cup, one in the Carnegie Challenge Cup and two in the Co-operative NL2 --- the young Wiganer has totalled 11 tries and is already nearly half way to smashing Nick Johnson's record of 26 in a season, set in 2004.
 
Also hoping to add to his impressive points tally on Sunday will be centre Mick Nanyn who has 37 goals and seven tries to his credit for a total of 102 points, which places him in third place in the list of National Leagues points scorers.
 
Talking of the loss of Roberts and the elevation of 22-year-old Coyle to captain, coach Steve Deakin said: " 'Two Bobs' has been every bit as big an influence off the field as on it. But even players like 'Two Bobs' are only good if they have two working arms and legs.
 
"I don't think a spell out will do him any harm. It will freshen him up and it will also give other players a chance to either redeem themselves or stake their claim for a place in the side.
 
"As for Coyley, he has been massively influential in Oldham RL Club going to the next level ever since his arrival and that is no disrespect to anyone else who has played at half-back.
 
"I still believe, and I have said this before, that James Coyle is the best half-back outside Super League. He has a great attitude in training as well, and the influence he has on the park mirrors his work off it."
 
Although York have still to pick up their first win in nine outings -- they have had two draws --- Deaks has warned against complacency and has said that with the players at their disposal, headed by the March twins, they are sure to come good eventually.
 
In the league they have lost at home to Gateshead and away at Barrow. In the Gateshead game they were 14-0 up before going down 26-20.
 
This week's edition of the Channel M rugby league show Code X111 includes a feature on Lucas Onyango's battle for fitness after a shoulder operation. Those who have seen it say it is not to be missed.