Whitehaven coach Ged Stokes will be without Scott McAvoy (groin) and has doubts over two key players for Sunday’s Northern Rail Cup opener at home to Batley Bulldogs.

Pictured Craig Calvert (groin) and Graeme Mattinson (calf) have been giving rise to concern during the week following last Sunday’s match with Leeds.

However, Stokes remains hopeful that Mattinson will feature in Sunday’s Northern Rail Cup opener.

Stokes said: “Matty should be OK. We’re very hopeful because it seems to have eased for him.

“We got a few knocks on Sunday but the only real concern would be Craig Calvert with a groin strain. If his groin is even slightly suspect on Sunday then he won’t be played.”

On Batley, Stokes added: “They’re a team that has improved markedly in terms of the way that they play.

“They’ve always been resilient but last year they proved that they can beat anyone. We know it’s going to be tough but we feel that it will be a good, even contest and that’s what you want at this time of the year.”

Ash Lindsay is set to make his 100th appearance for the Bulldogs at the Recreation Ground (3pm).

Lindsay (pictured below), who signed from local amateur club Shaw Cross Sharks after playing a short spell at Dewsbury Rams, made his Batley debut on the right wing against Doncaster on February 19, 2006. He has since played at half-back, hooker and more recently at loose forward, showing a high degree of consistency. 

His 90-yard try up the slope direct from a scrum against Barrow at Mount Pleasant was one of the highlights of last season. It was one of 30 he has scored for the Bulldogs.

He joins in the ‘100 Club’ Danny Maun (163), Mark Toohey (162) and Kris Lythe (155) and no doubt hopes to be celebrating with a rare win in Cumbria.

Coach Harrison said he would be virtually choosing from full strength, which certainly puts Lindsay in the reckoning after some storming performances in the vital closing games of last season, but the coach said he would not name the side until the eve of the trip north.

He added that prop James Martin had proved his fitness, despite earlier doubts, and would be in the reckoning but prop Jack Watson, with a back problem, is ruled out.

Second row man Tommy Gallagher is fit from a hamstring injury but the coach said he would not be in the 18 on duty in Cumbria.

Centre Mark Cunningham, who has been on trial in the pre-season games, has been released and played for his amateur club Hunslet Warriors last weekend.

Harrison remarked: “We thank him for his efforts but we need full commitment and that means giving up a good deal of time at this level and this is hard for some players.”

The match marks a difficult start to the campaign for the Bulldogs, who follow with a home game against Widnes, making two opponents who were in the Co-operative Championship play-offs last season.

Batley’s other games in the group are Swinton at home and Gateshead away, so the Mount Pleasant men have to beat one of the big two if they are to qualify for the knock-out stages.

Last season Batley missed out when they suffered three defeats out of four, starting with a 52-30 setback at Whitehaven.

Harrison commented: “It’s always tough in Cumbria, you never go there expecting an easy ride and our first two games are a real test.

“But we won’t be daunted by the tasks, it’s all about Batley Bulldogs and how we play, not the opposition.

“We have had a pretty good pre-season, with three wins out of three, and have had some decent preparation in training, although we have been handicapped at times by bad weather for some of our sessions.

If we can start this time where we left off last season in such good form, we could spring a few surprises.”

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