BATLEY Bulldogs will give half-back Paul Handfrth his debut as they seek to end their six-match losing run in the Co-operative Championship game against Whitehaven at Mount Pleasant tomorrow.

Handforth, formerly with Featherstone Rovers and Doncaster, has at least had an extra week to get to know his new colleagues because of last weekend’s break.

Handford is pictured alongside picking up a Northern Rail Trophy man of the round award when a Featherstoine player. That's his mother-in-law in the picture.

Coach Karl Harrison remarked: “He has worked well and is enjoying it. He can make a difference for us because we need a win to get things moving.”

Harrison is calling for the Bulldogs to ‘get out of the blocks quickly’ as he calls for the side to shake off the slow starts which have done so much to hinder their progress this time.

He added: “We have been caught napping in the first quarter of so many matches and it has given us a mountain to climb. If we can get an early score or two, it would help boost our confidence.

“In our position, when you are chasing the game you tend to panic and make more mistakes and we can do without those.”

Anthony Henderson, who has not played since being injured on February 22, is in full training and should play some part in the game. Fellow prop Luke Stenchion is training but has a crack at the end of a thumb and a late decision will be made, although no risk will be taken.

Winger Jonny Campbell is also training and should come into the reckoning, as is back row man Nathan Armitage, while hooker Gareth Greenwood is available again after being cup-tied against Salford.

Kris Lythe will also feel the benefit of having had a run-out in the Challenge Cup game but he is obviously not yet fully match fit after a nine-week lay-off and the Bulldogs are still short of cover, particularly as the versatile Mark Toohey faces such a lengthy spell on the sidelines because of a badly-broken thumb.

Harrison said: “We had a lot of broken bodies after the game against Salford. We trained last Friday night and then they had the weekend off but they have trained particularly well since then.

“We have two successive home games with Widnes to follow Whitehaven and perhaps we can put things together and make a real challenge.

“We were unlucky not to beat Leigh but we need to start picking up points.”

Meanwhile Whitehaven coach Ged Stokes is ready to give a Championship debut to Serbian forward Soni Radovanovic after just one outing for Whitehaven’s reserves.

Stokes has been pleased with how his international recruit has been looking in training and how well he did in the one reserve match in which he featured.

Haven will be without hooker Graeme Mattinson again as he’s still trouble by a shoulder injury while winger Craig Calvert could be sidelined for a month with a broken hand.

Loose-forward Jamie Theoharous has been laid low with a bout of flu and has done limited training this week.

Winger Paul Ballard (pictured alongside), signed on loan form Super League Celtic Crusaders on Thursday, will play. He’s got a great strike rate for the Crusaders with 40 tries in 50 games and Stokes reckons he’s unlucky not to be in their starting line-up.

---

Bookmark with: what are these?