Naylor: We’ve got to grasp the nettle

Scott Naylor: another tough game this weekend.

SCOTT Naylor insists Oldham won’t be feeling sorry for themselves when they go to Keighley Cougars on Sunday without suspended Gareth Owen, George Tyson and forward Josh Johnson.

In Kenny Hughes and Adam Files, Roughyeds have more than adequate cover for hooker Owen - even though he was in blistering form in defeat and in victory in recent games.

Jon Ford’s return from Salford on loan will help to compensate for the loss of Tyson in the backs, while Naylor has several options to consider for Johnson’s role at the back of the pack.

The game at Cougar Park (3pm) sees a head-to-head between the Kingstone Press League One’s early pacemakers with each having been beaten only once — Keighley at Swinton Lions and leaders Oldham at Barrow Raiders.

Oldham have 12 points and Keighley 10, but the Cougars have a game in hand. Roughyeds have a superior for-and-against differential.

Roughyeds coach Naylor (left): “At the start of the season you look at a fixture like Keighley away and conclude that it won’t get much tougher than that. It’s even tougher now because of our suspensions, but it’s the hand we’ve been dealt so we’ve got to grasp the nettle, get on with it and see what happens.”

“We need to challenge ourselves against teams like Keighley and it will be a real challenge because the suspensions put us on the back foot to start with.”

Keighley are likely to give a debut to young Bradford Bulls half-back Adam Brook (20), who has signed on a month’s loan initially, having recently returned to the Bulls from a similar loan spell with Oxford.