Whitehaven coach Jonty Gorley has had to make three changes to his squad for Sunday’s Betfred Championship game at home to Sheffield Eagles.
Injuries rule out James Newton, Chris Taylor and Tom Walker so they are replaced by Dave Eccleston, Kieran Hudson and Karl Olstrom.
Eccleston and Castleford-bound Hudson have recovered from injuries while Olstrom has re-signed for the third time.
Coach Jonty Gorley said: “Sheffield and are an established Championship side, well coached and will be a test. But as I’ve said all along if we believe in ourselves, play to our strengths we can match anybody in the League.
“We have been playing in fits and starts in every game so far but I think those good minutes are getting more and more each game. We’ve also had several halves of rugby when we haven’t conceded a point which is very encouraging.
“It was very pleasing how we dealt with York City Knights, a club who have spent a fair bit of money in putting their squad together while we have been operating on a reduced budget. We want to continue that form into the Sheffield game.”
The Whitehaven squad is: Aiye, Bishop, Bradley, Bulman, Cooper, Dawson, Dixon, Doyle, Evans, Eccleston, Graham, Holliday, Hudson, King, Martin, McAvoy, Moore, Olstrom, Phillips, Wilkinson, Williams.
Sheffield, who were convincing 50 point winners on their last visit to Cumbria two weeks ago against Workington, will choose from: Jones-Bishop, Bower, Oakes, I. Farrell, Thackeray, Dickenson, L. Johnson, J. Farrell, Hodgson, Halafihi, Wood, Broadbent, Kirk, Reilly, Welham, Chrimes, Liu, Wallis, Sheils, Laulu-Togagae, Holmes.
