Wednesday 13 February 2013

Sunday's Coming: The Law Cup


Here at TLCRF80mins, we love the Law Cup.

It'll be a game of unknown quantities on Sunday as Hornets and Oldham's overhauled squads tune-up in preparation for what both Ian Talbot and Scott Naylor know is a shit-or-bust season for both clubs. With two promotion places available - and N. Wales Crusaders chucking money around like it's going out of fashion - it's going to be an almighty kick, bollock and scramble all the way to September as our two venerable clubs battle to get out of the 'League of Slow Death™' and back onto the Rugby League map.


Having won the annual challenge against the Town Team comfortably, Ian Talbot shuffled his combinations in an inter-squad hit-out at Hopwood Hall last weekend, giving the U20's a chance to play themselves into first team contention.


Hornets 2013 squad is:

1. Wayne English   2. Gaz Langley   3. Owen Livesey   4. Tony Stewart   5. Dave Sutton
6. Paul Crook   7. Steven Roper   8. John Cookson   9. Alex McClurg   10. Warren Thompson
11. Chris Baines   12. Dayne Donoghue   13. Jordan Case   14. Alex Trumper   15. Benji Lloyd
16. Danny Davies   17. Martin Waring   18. Gareth Frodsham   19. Andy Ainscough   
20. Joe Bate  21. John Walker   22. Mike Ratu   23. Dave Hull   24. Mark Goodman  
25. Simon Atherton  26. Dave Llewellyn     27. Jayden Sandford   33. Lewis Sheridan  
34. Fraser Jones Lake 35. Ryan Brown   36. Andy Unsworth   37. Barry Clarke    
38. Jack Knowles  39. Liam Whalley  40. Will Chadwick

Oldham come into Sunday's game hot on the heels of a decent win over Salford's U19's, but it'll be a very different team to the one we saw last year. Only six players from last year's squad survive (the majority of whom seem to have baled to Oxford to play for Tony Benson). The six are  Neil Roden, Jamie Dallimore, Liam Gilchrist, Jason Boults, Michael Ward and David Cookson. 


But Oldham will be without Centre Cookson for Sunday's fixture as he's batting out  a six-month suspension following an inadvertent use of Methylhexaneamine, a Specified Substance on the WADA Prohibited List which crops up in some energy drinks. His suspension expires on February 28.


Scott Naylor's squad contains three former Hornets in Dale Bloomfield, Andy Hobson and Danny Samuel - which should give the game a little extra spice. More interstingly, they've also signed Callum Marriott, son of ex-Hornet legend Karl Marriott.


Latest Oldham first team squad we have is:


Mo Agoro   Dale Bloomfield   Jason Boults    David Cookson   Josh Crowley   Jamie Dallimore

Adam Files   Sam Gee   Liam Gilchrist   Mark Hobson   Kenny Hughes   Phil Joy   Danny Langtree Richard Lepori   Callum Marriott   Chis Murphy   Steven Nield   Lewis Palfrey   Neil Roden   Danny Samuel   Liam Thompson   Chris Tyrer   Michael Ward


Officials for Sunday are: Referee: P Brooke Touch Judges: D McNeice and I Scott


Latest News
Hornets will go into Sunday's clash without Wayne English and Paul Crook, who both have other commitments. Whilst this provides an opportunity for other squad players, Ian Talbot is said to be ready to draft in dual registration players from St Helens.