Whitehaven and Barrow go head-to-head at the LEL Arena tonight in a Championship game crucial to both clubs.
Keighley’s fine win over Batley means that Barrow drop back into the relegation zone – three points behind Whitehaven who have four teams below them.
It’s getting tight in the battle to avoid the bottom two with five games to go after the Cumbrian derby for all the clubs.
Newcastle Thunder (9) look destined to fill one of the relegation places but it’s still wide open as to who joins them in the drop – Whitehaven (16), Keighley (14), Swinton (14) and Barrow (13).
Both squads have been announced by their respective coaches and Whitehaven are expecting one of their biggest crowds of the season – because it’s a Cumbrian derby and because there’s so much at stake.
Whitehaven’s head coach Jonty Gorley will select from: Dave Eccleston, Chris Taylor, Curtis Teare, Karl Dixon, Connor Holliday, Lachlan Lanskey, Dion Aiye, Jamie Doran, James Newton, Lasarusa Yabu, Guy Graham, Perry Singleton, Ryan King, Lucas Castle, Josh Rourke, Daniel Spencer-Tonks, Oscar Doran, Jake Carter, Ross Ainley, George Hill, Brad Holroyd.
Paul Crarey, the Barrow head coach, has named: Ellis Archer, Jack Billington, Luke Broadbent, Andrew Bulman, Greg Burke, Brett Carter, Rio Corkill, Luke Cresswell, Charlie Emslie, Ben Evans, Adam Jackson, Ryan Johnston, Danny Langtree, Connor Saunders, Ryan Shaw, Jarrad Stack, Dan Toal, Shane Toal, Tom Wilkinson, Josh Wood, Greg Worthington.
