OLDHAM head coach Tony Benson has thrown down a challenge to the Roughyeds players who failed to win a jersey after he named an initial 25-strong senior squad.

Benson’s announcement of the squad numbers for 2010 has seen 10 youngsters – including Michael Ward, Ben Marsden, Jacob Kinney and Jack Graves – fail to make the cut but Benson has left room for more to be promoted.

"Ben Heaton worked his way up last season," he said. "There will be others trying to do the same in the coming months.

"Squad numbers are not awarded lightly, they have to be earned. The players who have not got a number in this initial 25 realise that and they will be working hard to get one."

There are six Oldhamers in the 25 – Mick Fogerty, John Gillam, Danny Whitmore, Chris Clarke, Mark Brocklehurst and Scott Mansfield.

Clarke, Mansfield and Heaton are in their third season, having joined the club as reserve-team rookies in 2008.

The 2010 squad numbers are: 1 Paul O’Connor; 2 Lucas Onyango; 3 Craig Littler; 4 Mick Fogerty; 5 John Gillam; 6 Neil Roden; 7 Matty Ashe; 8 Jason Boults; 9 Martin Roden; 10 Dave Ellison; 11 Saqib Murtza; 12 Kashley Watkins; 13 Joe Chandler; 14 Gary Sykes; 15 Craig Robinson; 16 Wayne Kerr; 17 Danny Whitmore; 18 Chris Clarke; 19 Ben Heaton; 20 Mark Brocklehurst; 21 Valu Bentley; 22 Paul Reilly; 23 Ben Mellor; 24 Marcus St Hilaire; 25 Scott Mansfield.