New signing Drew Kemp will make his Workington Comets debut on Saturday afternoon against Glasgow Tigers at Northside.
After back-to-back home league victories against Scunthorpe Scorpions and Oxford Cheetahs, in-form Comets are aiming to chalk up a third win on the trot this weekend.
In their latest outing, against the Cheetahs at the GT Tyres Arena last Saturday, Workington scored a 48-42 success after a thrilling meeting which went to a last heat decider.
Off the track, it has been a busy week for the Comets promotion and team boss James Denham.
After confirming that recently absent Craig Cook was being released with immediate effect, the club moved quickly to announce the signing of a replacement, Kemp, for the remainder of the 2026 campaign.
An ex-British youth champion and three-time winner of the national under-19 crown, Kemp is currently also plying his trade for Leicester Lions in the Premiership.
The 23-year-old starred for his previous Championship club Berwick at Northside last season, bagging an impressive 12-point haul in the meeting and ending the campaign as the Bandits’ number one.
He comes into the Comets side at number three, on an average of 8.07.
Comets will be aiming to pocket a prized league aggregate bonus point having lost narrowly to the Tigers, 42-48, in an entertaining meeting at Ashfield in mid-May.
In their lineup, Comets will also feature a guest rider, Jordy Loftus.
He deputises at reserve for Niklas Holm Jakobsen, who is otherwise engaged in an under-19 European championship qualifier on the continent.
Comets’ other reserve, Max Perry, will be up against his former Glasgow team.
Team boss James Denham said: “We need the win this week-end, and the aggregate point would be huge for us as well.
“Glasgow lead by six points, so it is all to play for. We started brilliantly last week and went ten points ahead, which was exactly what I was looking for, but we seemed to fade during the middle part of the meeting.
“We need to iron that out and start bringing greater consistency to our performances.
“Hopefully, the signing of Drew [Kemp] will help provide that consistency. He is a proven heat leader at this level, and I am confident he will deliver the points we need from that position. “Although we are not quite at full strength, with Niklas away at the European Under-19 qualifier, it is good to have our full-strength top five in place.
“Jordy Loftus comes in for us at reserve, and he has already shown that he is capable of producing strong performances around the GT Tyres Arena.
“Glasgow arrive in excellent form after a superb win at Oxford during the week, and we know they have quality throughout their side.
“It would be great to see another big crowd behind us on Saturday as we look to make it three home league wins in a row.”
The Tigers go into Saturday’s meeting on the back of that superb 49-41 victory at Oxford on Wednesday which leaves them fourth in the current standings and just a single point off the summit.
Freddy Hodder was rewarded for a stunning display at Oxford with a paid maximum of 10+2 from his reserve berth. Leon Flint finished the night with 10 points and Kyle Howarth 9+1.
The Tigers, who were due to ride against Scunthorpe tonight but it was called off, are at full strength for their trip to West Cumbria. Popular skipper Chris Harris is at number one with Flint and Howarth filling the other heat leader slots and three and five, respectively.
Sam Hagon — British under-21 champion in both 2024 and 2025 — is at number two with Kevin Juhl Pedersen at four. Mario Hausl and Hodder are their reserves.
Workington Meteors are in Northern Junior League action against Ashfield Giants at Northside on Saturday.
The Alwell Glass-sponsored Meteors line up, from one to four, with Jack Shimelt, Laylen Richardson, George Climo and Junior Travers, with Baz Collins the team manager.
