Oldham v Rochdale Hornets Match Preview & 21-man squads

   03/04/2026

OLDHAM will face their near neighbours today in a game that they will be widely expected to win to consolidate their place in the top ten.

They come into the game after having hammered Hunslet 44-0 in Round 8 and their coach Alan Kilshaw (pictured above) retains the squad from that game but adds Warrington Wolves loanee to his squad.

Hornets coach Gary Thornton saw his side win its opening three games of the season, but since then it has only won one out of five to put them in tenth position.

Jamie Dallimore is absent from the squad today and Thornton brings three loan players into his squad – Isaac Reid and Charlie McKler from Warrington Wolves and Kieran Taylor from Widnes Vikings.

But they are likely to face a tough struggle in a game that will again be played at Stalybridge’s Bower Fold Stadium.

SQUADS

Oldham: 1 Jack Walker, 2 Kieran Dixon, 3 Ben O’Keefe, 4 Ben Davies, 5 Jake Bibby, 6 Morgan Smith, 7 Riley Dean, 9 Matty Wildie, 10 Owen Farnworth, 11 Matty Ashurst, 12 Ryan Lannon, 13 Adam Milner, 14 Cole Geyer, 15 Ted Chapelhow, 18 Jaron Purcell, 21 Tom Nisbet, 23 Josh Drinkwater, 24 Marcus Greener, 26 Brad Day, 27 Bailey Liu, 28 Max Wood
Outs: None
Ins: 28 Max Wood

Hornets: 1 Max Flanagan, 2 Dan Nixon, 3 Tom Ashton, 4 Junior Sa’u, 5 Ben Will, 7 Jordan Paga, 8 Jaden Dayes, 9 Ross Whitmore, 10 Lewis Hatton, 12 Ethan Wood, 14 George Roby, 17 Dylan Kelly-Duffy, 19 Luke Waterworth, 20 Joe Hickey, 21 TJ Boyd, 24 Ben Metcalfe, 25 Jack Hansen, 28 Kieran Taylor, 34 Chris Barratt, 35 Isaac Reid, Charlie McKler,
Outs: 6 Jamie Dallimore, 34 Isaac Coleman, Harry Sheridan,
Ins: 28 Kieran Taylor, 35 Isaac Reid, Charlie McKler,

Referee: Kevin Moore

STATS

Last ten meetings:
Oldham 58, Rochdale 6 (1895C-R1, 2/3/25)
Rochdale 10, Oldham 14 (L1R18, 28/7/24)
Oldham 54, Rochdale 6 (L1R3, 31/3/24)
Oldham 38, Rochdale 12 (1895C-R3, 18/2/24)
Rochdale 20, Oldham 24 (L1R21, 20/8/23)
Oldham 56, Rochdale 16 (L1R5, 7/4/23)
(at Whitebank Stadium)
Rochdale 38, Oldham 24 (L1-EPO, 11/9/22)
Oldham 24, Rochdale 50 (L1R14, 10/7/22)
(at Whitebank Stadium)
Rochdale 34, Oldham 18 (L1R4, 15/4/22)
Rochdale 24, Oldham 30 (CSR4, 28/8/17)

ROSS WHITMORE needs one appearance to reach 100 for his career.
– 20 for Rochdale Hornets (2025-2026)
– 32 for Hunslet (2024-2025)
– 45 for Doncaster (2021-2023)
– 2 for Scotland (2024, 2026)