Workington Town coach Jonty Gorley is looking for a big response from his side when they face Oldham at the Fibrus Community Stadium on Sunday (3pm).
Town were well beaten 56-12 last week at home by Barrow Raiders, a performance Gorley labelled as not acceptable.
“You got us into this mess, you can get us out of it,” seems to be the message to the squad, with Gorley desperate to see them turn their training ground performances onto the field of play where it matters.
He had hoped to be able to bring in new blood this week but that hasn’t happened and he is likely to play last week’s recruit Logan Blacker at half-back with Dom Wear out because of a head knock in last week’s Barrow game.
Town lost heavily at Stalybridge where Oldham were based in April and it finished 74-4, a scoreline that Gorley and his troops would dearly like to put right on home soil.
Oldham travel to West Cumbria bidding to secure a tenth straight league victory at a ground where they have not lost for over 10 years.
A win would see Oldham make up ground on league leaders London Broncos who this weekend are in 1895 Cup action.
Roughyeds are currently fourth in the table, but have two games in hand on the sides ahead of them.
Coach Alan Kilshaw has made a number of changes to the squad which was announced ahead of Oldham’s 30-10 win over Midlands.
Marcus Geener and Sam Littler drop out of the squad after completing loan moves to North Wales Crusaders, while Emmanuel Waine is back in contention following his recall from Keighley.
Owen Farnworth remains sidelined, but Roughyeds have had more positive news regarding centre Iain Thornley who is included in the squad for the first time in over a year.
Thornley has been on the road to recovery since rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in April last year, but is now back available for selection.
- Town: J Ainley, R Ainley, Blacker, Carter, Castle, Corkill, Dickinson, J. Doran, Farrer, Featherstone, Galea, Lawther, Leigh, Lewthwaite, Phillips, Rawhiti, Reid, Scholey, Stephenson, Walmsley, Williams.
- Oldham: Walker, O’Keefe, Davies, Bibby, Smith, Wildie, Farnworth, Ashurst, Lannon, Milner, Chapelhow, Ewan Moore, Waine, Purcell, Nisbet, Thornley, Drinkwater, Day, Liu, Forber.
