After a week off Whitehaven will be bidding for a third successive victory when they resume at Keighley on Sunday.
Victories at Sheffield and at home over Widnes have put Jonty Gorley’s men in the right frame of mind, while Sunday’s postponement of the York game gave time for a few knocks to heal up.
That York game at the LEL Arena – where Haven will be bidding for a Championship double – is being staged a week tomorrow on Wednesday, June 28.
Which leaves the trip to Keighley on Sunday when they will be up against a changing Cougars line-up.
There have been one or two high-profile departures from the Keighley squad recently but ahead of last Sunday’s 18-16 defeat at Newcastle they had signed five players.
Former New Zealand and Samoa international Junior Sa’u has rejoined the club for the remainder of the season with a view to staying on for next year.
The 36-year-old centre returns to Cougar Park after playing rugby union in the USA in Washington for Old Glory DC. He played eight times for Keighley in their promotion-winning campaign last year.
Sa’u told the Keighley website it had always been his intention to return to the UK to play and says he can’t wait to get back to Lawkholme Lane (Cougar Park).
The Cougars have also made two loan signings with the Huddersfield duo of Jack Bibby and Kieran Rush joining for two weeks. Arrangements will be reviewed on a week to week basis.
Prop Bibby, 21, came through the ranks at Wigan and last season had one game on loan for Workington Town in the Championship as well as two with Oldham.
At the start of the season he joined Hudderfield on a three-year deal and has already played three times for Bradford Bull on loan in the Championship.
Half-back Rush made history last year as he became the first player to score points for Jamaica at a Rugby League World Cup.
The Cougars have also signed young back-rower Cole Oakley on loan from Halifax and the 21-year-old England Youth international Luca Atkinson on loan from Leeds.
Their defeat at Newcastle on Sunday left them just two points above the drop zone in the Championship and two points behind Whitehaven. It was only Newcastle’s second win of the season and they are still five points from safety.
