Class of 2011 taking shape

AS Oldham Roughyeds head for a new year and the start of a new season, coach Tony Benson is delighted with the way his squad is taking shape.

Come Sunday he will run the rule over as many players as he has available in the pre-season Law Cup clash with derby rivals Rochdale Hornets at the Whitebank Stadium (3pm kick off).

Up to now he has a squad of 23, but four of those are unlikely to be available on Sunday and two more, Chris Clarke and Jack Bradbury, are doubtful because of injury.

Mark Brocklehurst, the latest signing, is not expected to link up with Roughyeds on a regular basis until he has finished his commitments with Oldham RU Club in February, while Marcus St Hilaire and new-boy Tom Woodcock have not done much pre-season training yet because of the demands of their full-time jobs.

Hooker Danny Whitmore is definitely out because he is away on a pre-arranged commitment, so Benson might be down to a minimal 17 for the first of three warm-up games unless he looks to John Hough’s reserve-team squad for reinforcements.

Several members of the reserve-team unit are under contract and keen to progress, among them Michael Ward, Austen Barrowclough, Jacob Kinney, Ross Coates, Ben Marsden and newcomer Matthew Fogarty.

While Hornets were due to flex their muscles at Castleton Sports Centre last night against a representative Rochdale amateur side, Benson planned to throw his men up against Hough’s second team squad at the Whitebank.

Both Benson and his Rochdale counterpart John Stankevitch were anxious to provide their players with a little bit of ‘real’ rugby to prepare them for Sunday’s showdown.

Said Benson: “It’s going to be a typical derby played out by two passionate, if understandably ring-rusty, teams.

“There’s nothing like a Law Cup derby to produce early-season intensity, but in terms of the bigger picture and of the long season that stretches ahead these are very early days.

“We are certainly miles ahead in our preparation compared with where we were at this time last year, and I am pleased with the way things are going and the way the squad is taking shape.”