ROCHDALE HORNETS have handed seven of their new signings squad numbers in the first 13.
Jamie Dallimore and Jordan Paga take the six and seven shirts vacated by Martyn Ridyard and Lewis Else, while Lewis Hatton will wear ten.
Veteran centre Junior Sa’u is four and Matty Unsworth, Ethan Wood and Jordan Syme round off the first 13.
Max Flanagan has been given number one following Gregg McNally’s retirement and Tom Ashton and Ben Will swap from 20 to three and 21 to five respectively.
Number 15 is dedicated to the memory of young fan Freddie Lowe, who passed away from a rare form of cancer at the age of just three in 2021.
Coach Gary Thornton said of the allocations: “It is just a number and comes with no guarantees. It’s what’s inside the shirt that counts, not what’s written on the outside.
“The lads will need to work hard consistently for a spot in the matchday 17, no matter what number they wear.”
Rochdale were denied the chance to put their new-look squad through their paces in an actual match for the first time when their scheduled game at Halifax on Sunday for James Saltonstall’s testimonial was postponed due to pitch concerns.
Squad numbers: 1 Max Flanagan, 2 Dan Nixon, 3 Tom Ashton, 4 Junior Sa’u, 5 Ben Will, 6 Jamie Dallimore, 7 Jordan Paga, 8 Jaden Dayes, 9 Ross Whitmore, 10 Lewis Hatton, 11 Matty Unsworth, 12 Ethan Wood, 13 Jordan Syme, 14 Morgan Punchard, 16 Jordan Andrade, 17 Dylan Kelly-Duffy, 18 Danny Lynch, 19 Luke Waterworth, 20 Joe Hickey, 21 TJ Boyd, 22 Jack Holmes, 23 Jamie Pye, 24 Ben Metcalfe.