Sunday's Coming
Those with a warped sense of humour will see the irony in Oldham's first
'league' game back at Boundary Park being against Hornets.
Without a home win against us since 2000, Oldham will see this as as a key
stepping stone in their renaissance - a chance to wipe clean the slate of
the last dreadful couple of years and start again.
And, while their squad is missing a good few names since last year, Steve
Molloy's assembled a useful unit that should be capable of challenging in
the right half of National League 1.
Having gone down narrowly at Leigh a fortnight ago, they blew the cobwebs
off with an ultimately convincing win over uber-amateurs East Hull last week.
With Pat Rich and the Gibbons brothers gone, the three quarter line could
take time to gel, but with Barber and Roden at half back, Molloy's big pack
will have plenty to run off.
In Danny Guest and Jason Clegg, Oldham must have close on the heaviest front
row in the competition - and with Anthony Murray at hooker, it comes with
guile, not just steamrolling grunt.
Also in the mix come John Hough and Simon Svabic, giving Molloy a real wealth
of ball playing go-forward.
Hally too has interesting selection problenms this week with the availability
of Jon Roper. Alongside Mick Nanyn, he'll completem a threequarter line that
has real potential, but it may be a little early to see the very best from
them.
There are some doubts over both Paul Southern and Damian Ball who picked
up injuries in last week's cup-tie, but overall it should be pretty much
as you were.
As always, you can't beat a Hornets /Oldham Derby for anticipation. The clashes
between our sides over the last couple of seasons have been tense, tight
affairs that have served up some superb Rugby League.
Sunday should be no different - and you'd be mad to miss it. See you there.
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