It was going to be billed as the invalid derby with injury-ravaged Whitehaven and Workington Town squaring up on Sunday night.
But both clubs have named 21 players for the clash at the LEL Stadium which is now looking as though it could be the rookies derby!
Between them the two West Cumbrian clubs have managed to loan seven young players from Super League clubs and six of them are included in the squads for tonight.
The one who misses out is Whitehaven’s recruit from Huddersfield, George Roby who played in the last two games against Halifax and Sheffield.
Because a Championship club is only allowed five loan players at one time Roby has gone back to Huddersfield as Haven have their full quota.
Although they signed Kieran Hudson during the winter he has subsequently joined Castleford and was loaned back to Haven leaving just four more places.
They have been filled by Wigan prop Jack Bibby and the Hull FC trio of Marcus Walker, Davy Litten and Jacob Hookem.
For their part Workington Town managed to bring in two Super League youngsters during the week – centre Will Tate from Hull KR and second-row/centre Daniel Brewin from Warrington.
They do have a third loan player, full-back Luke Broadbent from Warrington but he is ill and will miss-out on the derby.
As well as their Hull recruits, Whitehaven are able to welcome back Guy Graham from suspension and fellow forward Tom Walker who has been unavailable for the last two games.
Liam McAvoy is also back from injury as well as Tom Wilkinson, while the long-term injury concerns are Alex Bishop, Chris Taylor, James Newton and Geronimo Doyle.
Utility forward David Weetman has made Town’s matchday squad after his horrific ankle break and dislocation sustained at London Skolars last season.
However fellow forward Jake Lightowler (knee) is out for the season due to requiring a reconstruction while Dec O’Donnell (shoulder) and Curtis Teare (elbow/arm) are still missing.
With Broadbent missing there’s a timely return for full-back Oscar Thomas, recovered now from a hamstring injury. He is one of just two former Haven players in the Town matchday squad – Jordan Thomson is the other.
By contrast Haven include four ex-Town players in their squad – McAvoy, Walker, Callum Phillips and Andrew Dawson.
The Haven squad is: Aiye, Bibby, Bradley, Bulman, Cooper, Dawson, Dixon, Eccleston, Evans, Graham, Holliday, Hookem, Hudson, King, Litten, McAvoy, Phillips, M. Walker, T. Walker, Wilkinson, Williams.
Town will pick from: Barnes, Brewin, Brown, Clarke, Clegg, Doran, Fitzsimmons, Forber, Henson, Hutchings, O’Brien, Olstrom, Postlethwaite, Simons, Steele, Tate, Thomas, Thomson, Walker, Weetman, Young.
