Neal and Holmes on mend

PROP Adam Neal and utility back Jack Holmes are being treated for injuries received at Barrow as Oldham RL prepare for Sunday’s big home game against Newcastle Thunder.

Neither trained last night - Neal with an ankle problem, Holmes with a slight groin injury.

“I’m told they should be okay by weekend,” said coach Scott Naylor.

He confirmed that everybody else was fit, apart from long-standing injury victim Tom Ashton, who damaged his left knee last month. Naylor awaits scan results.

The Oldham coach is also waiting for the outcome of the RFL match review panel’s probe into the brawl in the dying seconds of the Roughyeds’ 30-18 defeat at Barrow – their first League One loss this season. The panel will examine tape of the game tomorrow, though sanctions wouldn’t begin until next week.

Providing Neal and Holmes get the all-clear, it’s likely Naylor will pick from 20 players: the 17 who played at Barrow plus Sam Gee, Richard Joy and Tom Dempsey.

Newcastle, third in the table on the same points as second-place Oldham, will be without injured Papua New Guinea prop Mark Mexico, but coach Stanley Gene hopes his two other New Guinea internationals, Charlie Wabo and Jason Tali, will have recovered in time to play.