For me no Daryl is as bad as no Gidley.

Matty Russell
Tom Lineham
Ryan Atkins
Rhys Evans
Kevin Penny
Stefan Ratchford
Chris Sandow
Ashton Sims
Brad Dwyer
Chris Hill
Ben Currie
Jack Hughes
Joe Westerman.

Jordan Cox
Mitchell Dodds
Gary Wheeler As interchange hooker.
George King

Joe Philbin
Benjamin Jullien


Other teams are going on about the injuries that they have got. Well currently we have Daryl, Super Ben, Gidley, Ryan Bailey & Toby King all out due to injuries.

Tough place at the moment, a real test without Gidley, Clark and Westwood, particularly if Dodds and Ratchford are under-cooked? though not ideal, I can see Kevin T's point re Wheeler at 6 and Ratchford spelling from the bench.

We were looking in good shape and all generally patting ourselves on our collective backs as far as strength in depth is concerned, but, it just shows one or two KEY personnel out and we are scrambling like everyone else I suppose?

I'm sure we could cope with the loss of just about anyone, even several, from our match day squad without losing too much. The exceptions are Gidley, Sandow and Clark, losing two out of those three is likely to make life very tough indeed. But it happens and we just have to find a way same as some others have done (and some haven't).

Dwyer barely has the engine for twenty minutes so there will have to be an interchange.

A halfback can provide emergency cover at hooker so it might just be Wheeler. Hope he proves the doubters wrong.

Agree about your assessment on the missing and I'd maybe put Gidley as the biggest miss I also agree about the need for others to step up as it's the only way to put a value on the shirt.

I'd be happy with a one or two point victory right now, no more injuries and another week to get Ratchford and Dodds firing and Gidley and Clark back in the frame

I would play Patton on the bench instead of wheeler as an interchange hooker, with a few days prep he should be able to pass and scoot enough to cope with it for one game. Wheeler is back up for the backs not hooker.

Can't understand why Patton doesn't get a shout I feel we will lose him on loan soon.

Tony Smith must disagree as Patton isn't even in the squad.

As a shot in the dark, does the Reserve team not have a hooker who can step in?

Sean Kenny is the specialist hooker, he has got some first team experience.

Could he try Jullien at interchange with Dwyer, if Wheeler is fully fit then OK give him a go but I would prefer to see him get a couple of eighty minutes in first as it's a very demanding role we need someone robust and durable.

I think the club is light on hookers on the whole, I noticed Harry Files played for the reserves, who is technically a Rochdale player I think.

I believe it was always the intention to give a game to Rochdale players this year - depending on their availability and with a view to also looking at the more promising one's. Both James Dandy and Harry Files played on Sunday, both of whom can play hooker.



Kenny left our U19's at the end of the 2014 season. I don't know what he did last year, but I am pretty sure he hasn't played in the first team. Andy Ackers also played in the U19's but was then released, went to Swinton and was subsequently loaned back to Wire for four weeks at the start of the 2015 season. I think he played a couple of the friendlies but never made a debut, and then disappeared back to Swinton.

Andy Ackers is currently playing for London Broncos as their interchange hooker.

Hopefully the experience will benefit him in a similar fashion to how Brad Dwyer improved under the tutelage of Andrew Henderson at Broncos.

Yeah he is, he was an academy player for us (Salford) and was on the verge of the first team. I think he won academy player of the year a couple of years ago, but was then released because of the stupid academy system that exists in this country. If we had an A team or U23's I'm sure he'd still be playing for us. instead he's had to drop down a couple of leagues like so many young players to get regular game time.