PAUL Crook will be looking to play in his 250th career game when Oldham go to Bradford Bulls on Sunday in the Betfred League 1 play-off semi-final.

The goal-kicking half-back made 164 appearances for Rochdale Hornets, either side of spells with Widnes Vikings (13 games), Doncaster (10), Swinton (8) and Whitehaven (27).

He has played 27 times for Roughyeds this year, putting him within one game of his major milestone.

A year ago he was in a third-tier play-off series with Whitehaven, who narrowly beat York in a golden-point thriller at the Recreation Ground only to go down to Barrow Raiders in an equally-exciting final at Craven Park.

On Sunday, Oldham will be without the suspended Ben Davies, Luke Nelmes and Luke Hooley, but coach Scott Naylor insists that all the pressure and weight of expectation is on the Bulls.

Of the side with whom he won every honour in the game as a strong centre, the Roughyeds boss said: "They've beaten us twice this season and the pressure is on them, not just this weekend but to gain promotion.

"The bookies made them odds-on favourites (to win the league and go up automatically) but they've not finished top of the division.

"Was that because York had a fantastic season or because Bradford didn't ?

"When we played them at home in the league a week or two back there wasn't much difference between the two sides if you take away our 15-minute blip just before half-time.

"They've got a big squad and a very strong bench. They rested eight men in the game they played before they met us last time and they did the same again last Sunday.

"We are without three suspended players for our biggest match of the year and that's pretty much how things have gone for us all season.

"The Bulls will be huge favourites to win, but all the pressure is on them and I know which side will be the more nervous if there's not much in it after an hour.

"I hope there will be a lot of Oldham fans there to cheer us on.

"Everybody expects things to go to plan (for Bradford), but if they don't it could be very interesting.

"We need the referee to be strong and to give us a fair crack of the whip."

Referee for the big game is Jack Smith, a former Royal Marines commando who was discharged on medical grounds after he was shot by a Taliban sniper in Afghanistan eight years ago.