South Wales Scorpions have confirmed that they have today signed the paperwork to bring Andy Powell to the Neath-based rugby league club on a dual registration basis.
The agreement, signed in time for this Sunday’s match at Oldham Roughyeds (kick-off 3pm) enables him to turn out for the Scorpions for the remainder of the season, subject to availability from his club Wigan Warriors.
Powell has played twice for Wigan this season, both times coming off the substitutes bench, but their coach Shaun Wane has said that he wants the 31-year old to have some more game-time under his belt.
He will go into a Scorpions side that know they will have to be at their best this Sunday away at the division's form side.
A win for Oldham will put them at the top of the table and will knock North Wales Crusaders off for the first time this season, but Crusaders, without a game again this weekend, will have two games in hand.
The Scorpions are determined to win to keep their play-off hunt on track, and do their Welsh rivals a favour at the same time, but coach Dave Clark knows that an increase in form is necessary following a home defeat to Gloucestershire All Golds last Sunday.
"Like every week we review the game and look at improvements," Clark said. "The boys came up with their own short term goals for the remaining five fixtures. We are still confident of making the play offs, we just need consistency in our game.
"We reviewed our options and realised that the opportunities we didn’t take last week either came from the wrong pass option or making errors in set plays.
"Defensively we were good, they scored jusr one try resulting of a set play AND we as a team defended the questions they asked in attack.
"This week at Oldham, we need to improve on our urgency to solve these actions."
Billy Sheen and Ben Moores are both available again after missing last week's match but Connor Farrer will miss the game due to injury. Phil Carleton is also unavailable.
Wales World Cup hopeful David James is still out with a back injury but is progressing slowly and should be returning to training next week.
Oldham are reporting to have a “very similar side to last week” where they beat Oxford at Iffley Road but Liam Gilchrist has a calf injury and is a doubt.
They currently have two prop forwards on loan who are due to make their home debuts – Oldham born Nathan Mason from Huddersfield Giants, and Matthew Haggerty from arrow Raiders. Both made their club debuts off bench last week.
Oldham coach Steve Naylor said: “As long as we keep winning, we’ll put North Wales under pressure. We’re on the run-in now and wins are what matter more than anything.”
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