Roughyeds wait on Roden

OLDHAM RL Club’s medical team will be checking on club captain Neil Roden this week in the build-up to next Sunday’s Northern Rail Cup group game at Halifax.

Roden, later to be sin-binned for a high tackle, took a blow to the throat in the second half of yesterday’s 28-22 win against Hunslet Hawks at the Whitebank Stadium. Report and reaction on Page 30.

He was treated on the pitch before quickly taking up position again in his team’s defensive line at a time when Roughyeds were under heavy fire.

Soon afterwards he was shown the yellow card. He took no further part in the game but he later complained of soreness in the area around his throat and neck.

“We’ll be keeping an eye on him,” said coach Tony Benson, who has allocated his squad numbers for 2011 as follows with young full-back Ben Heaton leading the way as No 1.

The full squad list is:

Ben Heaton 1, Lucas Onyango 2, Marcus St Hilaire 3, Jack Bradbury 4, John Gillam 5, Neil Roden 6, Mick Diveney 7, Jason Boults 8, Danny Whitmore 9, Dave Ellison 10, Andy Isherwood 11, Ben Wood 12, Valu Bentley 13, Chris Clarke 14, Liam Gilchrist 15, Luke Sutton 16, John Clough 17, Alistair Williams 18, Scott Mansfield 19, Johnny Walker 20, Mark Brocklehurst 21, Tom Wood-Hulme 22, Matty Ashe 23, Paul Noone 24, Martin Roden 25.

The players wore their new 2011 strip, complete with their new squad numbers, for the first time against Hunslet Hawks.

Roughyeds reserves play the first of three pre-season friendlies against Dewsbury Rams at the Whitebank on Thursday (kick-off 7.45pm).

Coach John Hough will pick from 19, including new signing Shaun Robinson, the 21-year-old former Saddleworth Rangers winger who has joined Roughyeds on a one-year contract.