So a few possible selection headaches for this one.

Just learnt Keyes is out due to an ankle injury picked up in training. Hopefully Leon is recovered from illness to partner Lilley. Otherwise possibly a Lilley/Smith halfback partnership.

If Thomas is fit he could fit in there with Lilley and you could then leave Campbell at fullback and Macani on the wing.

Up front we should get Bentley back, so he'll come into the starting 13 and maybe Wilkinson will drop to the bench in place of Halafihi?

It'll definitely be interesting to see who we get back injury wise. Difficult to say who's going to come in to replace Keyes and what other reshuffles there may be until we know who's back really. Thomas & Pryce options if they're back. Smith would be an option, but maybe only if Mendeika is back. Lots of IFs until we see the 19 later.

Thomas and Lilley in the halves if Keyes and Pryce are out. The Smith at 6 experiment was a disaster so hopefully they don't do that again.

Campbell
Ryan
Oakes
Smith
Macani
Thomas
Lilley
Magrin
Moore
Kirk
Larroyer
Roche
Bentley

Murray
Caro
Wilkinson
JJR

It's another potential banana skin, that we need to avoid.

For the second week running we are going into a game that we [ishould[/i win - last week we didn't handle that at all well for the first half of the game. Let's not disguise that we were second best to a team that had not won a game all season for 50 minutes. We can't afford to start that poorly again.

We need our big players like Moore, Pryce (if fit), Smith and Lilley to step up and get a grip of things - hopefully we'll dominate early on in the forwards and lay the platform for a win that is a bit less nerve-shredding than last week.

You've got to reward good form haven't you?
Stick with the same side as last week, except Bentley in for Vila.

Keep Omari on bench to rotate as backrower after his performance last week.
Colton Roche to spell at prop.

We can't keep the same side because Keyes is out!

Looking at the last match now on the Provident website (a good decision by the Club a cost saving and good for the Fans) The Bulls looked like a Team trying to figure out their systems again and coupled with Ref having a bit of Mare though his poor decisions shaded in favour of the Rams, gave us a disjointed first half, thought apparently it was warm 20C? (That's seems cold over here as Autumn is starting to bring in cooler weather) The Rams forwards started to wilt and being part time their stamina dropped off after about the 50 mins mark, the Bulls took advantage but not as clinical as they should have!
Still its a work in progress, the side is starting to look more settled but the little things still need work, like holding on to the ball and stop getting pinged by the Ref so easily plus a stronger defence which is still to easily broken at times!

Squad

Bentley
Campbell
Caro
Halafihi
Jordan Roberts
Keyes
Kirk
Larroyer
Lilley
Lumb
Macani
Margin
Moore
Murry
Oakes
Roche
Ryan
Smith
Wilksinson

No Leon again, what’s up with him? He pulled out last week with illness. Must be pretty bad. Keyes in squad? Yet reported in T&A to be injured. Baffling. Still no Thomas.


I’d go with

Campbell
Macani
Smith
Oakes
Ryan
Lilley
Keyes
Murray
Moore
Magrin
Roche
Larroyer
Bentley

Wilkinson
Kirk
Jordan Roberts
Caro

If the T&A are right and Keyes misses out, it'll be interesting to see what they do.

Does Smith go to 6 and Caro or Halafihi play in the centre? Or does Moore go into the halves with Lumb coming in at hooker? Either way, no really ideal situations but if you're missing Pryce, Thomas, Keyes & Mendeika, with a cobbled together squad as it is, it's always going to be a struggle to fill positions with players who usually play there.

Indeed.

Reading the report again it may be that Keyes isn't that badly injured. Could just be an overreaction or he is injured and Beattie is playing tjings close to his chest.

Pryce's knees are keeping him out this week apparently.

If Keyes misses our then probably best just playing a backrower there and smashing the ball up.

Let Lilley and Moore control play. No point really trying to fit somebody into the stand off role if they're not used to playing it.

Rumour doing rounds that he has had a fall out with our antipodean holiday maker,

Seen the rumours on Facebook but I don't put a lot of stock in those.

More likely his knees are knackered.

But that wouldn't facilitate him being dropped. Since said Antipodean is only on his jollies and has no say whatsoever in the team. It's all Leigh Beattie. Ahem...

Seems odd us naming Keyes in squad after t&a making such a big deal out of him being injured. Mind games or someone ready to come into 19 to replace 'injured' player?

Not really sure there has been any particular, 'big deal', tbh, well other than on here and facebook, which given the T&A's lack of specific RL reporter, means they may well have picked up on it.

He picked some injury and he may or, may not, be fit is the basic story. He's in the squad, so it would appear they are, at least, hopeful he'll play. I think the idea we're playing mind games quite funny, though I'm sure Oldham would be pleased to think it.

The Bulls social media guru has been very helpful this afternoon and put the address and postcode of Oldham's ground for the fans on Twitter & Facebook.

Sadly, the address they've put is of Whitebank Stadium where Oldham don't play. But I'm sure fans will forgive if they follow the instructions to the wrong place.

Out of interest, what is the post code of the ground?

SK15 2RT for Bower Fold where the Bulls are playing.

OL8 3JH for Whitebank where the Bulls' social media guy is heading.

Not a bad little ground at Bower Fold - hope the weather is better than last year, it hoiked it down from memory.

By the way, any clue on ticket price? Can't find owt on Oldham or Stalybridge websits

Tickets in Bulls shop were £15 for adults. Don't know if they go up on the day. And yeah it never stopped raining when we were there midweek last year. Thankfully most areas were covered.

Hoping it's the Stockport post code as that's where I'm headed tomorrow! Trying to bring the nephew with me (Liverpool father and living in Manchester so got extra work to recruit as a bulls fan). Sister is due tomorrow with her second and is wanting to keep her family close by. So selfish!