Naylor facing poser over key position

LEWIS PALFREY . . . the Oldham RL skipper was overlooked at The Shay

SCOTT Naylor's biggest dilemma in picking his side to face Swinton Lions at Blackpool on Sunday will concern the choice of his half-backs.

Swinton's halves pick themselves. Ben White and Chris Atkin have been automatic choices for the best part of a season and a half and they are key to everything the Lions put together as an attacking force.

White (21), reared at Saddleworth Rangers and refined at Leeds Rhinos, landed the drop goal that saved the Lions in last year's play-off semi-final against York with 10 seconds left and went on to score a crucial try against Keighley in the final.

Atkin (23), from Widnes, ran in 21 tries last year, second only to winger Shaun Robinson's 22, and popped over all-important drop goals in the play-off semi-final and then the final.

He played full-back when Oldham produced a stunning performance to win 32-26 at Sedgley Park last June in the second of 14 victories in a row which swept Naylor's men to the League One title and to promotion on a wave of optimism and euphoria.

In the return game at Whitebank in September, Roughyeds did the business again, this time winning 28-16 to put themselves within touching distance of the League Leaders' Trophy.

In both games, as in most of last year's 23 wins from 28 outings in all competitions, Naylor relied on his tried-and-trusted half-back pairing of Lewis Palfrey and Steve Roper, club captain Palfrey playing in all but two of those games en route to the League One player-of-the-year crown with 129 goals and 304 points.

Give or take the odd appearance by on-loan Dave Hewitt from St Helens (now full time at Sheffield Eagles), Palfrey and Roper had a hand-in-glove partnership from the time Roper arrived at Whitebank from Rochdale in 2014 until recently.

Danny Grimshaw's close-season arrival from Hunslet gave Naylor another experienced half-back and he has also been playing hooker Gareth Owen in that key midfield role with Grimshaw in the centre and either Palfrey or Roper taking a rest.

The old firm were both left on the sidelines at Halifax last Friday when Owen and Grimshaw filled the places known as stand-off and scrum-half.

Owen had a splendid game in a 12-6 defeat at The Shay, but Naylor will presumably factor into the equation Palfrey's value as one of the best goalkickers in the division, Roper's presence as No.2 marksman and the resulting concerns about kicking goals if neither of them were to play.

Away from the half-backs, Oldham must be wary of their former winger Shaun Robinson, who loves to put one over on his home-town club, for whom he scored 11 tries in 27 games in 2011 and 2012 after graduating from the Whitebank reserves.

Robinson (26) and Roughyeds forward Michael Ward are close friends.

Said Robinson: "Whenever we play on opposite sides he'll go out of his way to put a big shot (heavy tackle) in, and I have to watch out for him coming so I can give him the slip."