Whitehaven will be wary of the opposition on Sunday as the visitors to the Ortus Rec look to be much improved on last season.
Newcastle Thunder didn’t win a game at the bottom of League One but they’ve already opened a few eyes in their two matches so far.
They went to Midlands Hurricanes in the first Championship game and won 28-10 and followed-up with a battling performance at established Championship side Doncaster in the Challenge Cup and just lost out 24-22.
They have strengthened considerably, particularly taking on board loan players from York City Knights.
They have also re-signed a forward familiar to west Cumbrian fans in Tyler Walton who spent the 2024 season at Workington under current Haven coach Anthony Murray.
Also familiar to Workington fans is winger Andy Djeukessi who impressed while on loan last season to Town from Castleford Tigers. He played Super League last season but his move to Newcastle underlines Thunder’s new financial clout.
Whitehaven have had two defeats to Sheffield so far – in the Championship and Challenge Cup – but Murray has taken a number of positives from both games. He knows that Thunder will pose a different test to previous years on Sunday afternoon.
Doubtful for the hosts is Jordan Burns who picked-up an injury caused by the 4G surface at Sheffield last week. Hurt his knee in the first tackle and suffered a bad cut.
He was being assessed this morning but Liam Williamson, recently signed from Seaton Rangers, is included in the 21-man squad.
Haven from: Bailey, Bickerdike, Blinkhorn, Brennan, Brown, Burns, Eccleston, Holgate, Holliday, Kellett, Lowe, McQuistan, Nixon, B. Pearce, J. Pearce, Shackley, Thomson, Todd, Walker-Taylor, Walker, Williamson.
Newcastle have only named 19 and they are: Harrison, Djeukessi, Ward, Hunter, Roberts (loan), Pemberton, Jackson (loan), Reynolds, Whittingham, Rostang, Santi, Tennison, Ta’ai, Brown, McGowan, Foster (loan), Smith (loan), Lipp (loan), Walton.
