Sunday's Coming
Things have changed a bit since Sunday's fixture first suffered at the hands of the pre-season frost. And the changes have been more visibly noticeable at Oldham.
Mike Ford took a union bung and jumped ship to join the Irish RU; Leo Casey quit to spend more time with his family; Simon Knox dedcided that Oldham really wasn't for him and walked out to Leigh; Tommy Hodgkinson is still laid low with what looked like an innocuous injury picked up in the Law Cup defeat; John Harbin arrived in the hot seat threatening to expose schoolboys to first team football and, this week, we learn that lanky turncoat Kevin 'minion' Mannion has done the dirty on the Roughyeds, taking himself off to 'condition' 'orrible Orrell.
Quite a couple of months.
With Sunday in mind, Harbin is preparing a team with plenty of firepower up front. Former club captain Andy Proctor looks likely to get a spot on the bench as Harbin works out the permutations to include other props Jason Clegg, Paul Norton and Danny Guest .
As for Hornets, Hally will know better than most the underlying subtext of Sunday's game - and the importance of a win at all costs attitude. In recent weeks performances have become progressively more lacklustre. Last week's against Chorley registered the low water mark as we repeatedly conceded posession and field posession under no pressure, dropped off tackles and showed no discernible spark on attack.
In an attempt to add a bit of steel back into the line-up, Hally will give a late fitness test to big Brendan O’Meara, while Casey Mayberry - with seven tries in his eight outings - retains his spot on the wing.
Interestingly, he'l line-up opposite Oldham's sole Rochdalian import Joe McNicholas, who has notched up six tries in nine games. Should make for an interesting battle.
But the biggest decider on Sunday will be attitude. Quite simply - as we've seen so often in these derby clashes - the side that wants it most will take it. If the team wants it as much as we do then we'll be fine. Show them how much it matters - be there! And get there early - you'd be mad to miss it.
|
:
