Stephen Dawes will be lining-up for Barrow Raiders against his old club Workington Town on Sunday at Craven Park (pictured, 2pm).

Dawes has been training with Barrow for a few weeks now and will get a run on the wing as a trialist, trying to earn himself a contract with the Co-operative Championship club.

Last season Dawes’ first team opportunities were limited at Derwent Park as he was working out of the county for long spells. Nevertheless he played in 13 games and scored ten tries wich made him Town's top scorer.

He also scored ten tries from 16 gams in 2008 when he was coming back from an injury lay-off, and it was a figure topped by only one player Shaun Lunt (18).

Ex-Whitehaven coach Steve McCormack, now in charge at Craven Park, will look at Dawes against Town in Sunday’s friendly which sees a collection of players who will be going in against their former club.

Dawes joins Brett McDermott and Liam Campbell as former Town players while Workington will include a bevy of Barrovians in Liam and James Finch, Mike Whitehead, Lee Dutton, Joe McKenna and Scott Kaighan.

There could be another but Town coaches Gary Charlton and Martin Oglanby will not want to rush-back Jack Pedley who suffered a shoulder injury and hade t retire against Whitehaven on Sunday.

Pedley had come on as a substitute and was looking particularly lively when he took a knock in a tackle. He has had shoulder problems before and although this injury was not serious, Town are unlikely to take any risks.

Campbell will undergo a late fitness test on his shoulder having been out of action for the past six months, but McCormack expects him to feature, though fellow half-back James Coyle is ruled out after a groin operation.

Rob Roberts will also miss out with a back problem, with new signing Richard Fletcher having a check on his ankle to see if he can feature in the game, and Jamie Rooney will be put through a late check. But there will be first appearances for close-season signings Andy Henderson and Michael Knowles.

Town will have Paddy Coupar and Kris Coward back in the squad after they were forced to miss the Whitehaven game for the Ike Southward Memorial Trophy.

Coupar was snow-bound in his native Scotland while Coward was in bed with a severe bout of the flu.

There will still be one notable absentee, however, top Aussie forward Jarrad Stack who is currently back home and is expected back in west Cumbria round about January 19.

Meanwhile Town have stepped-up their efforts to bolster the pack after Sunday’s 60-6 hammering by neighbours Whitehaven. It was obvious to fans, coaches, officials and even the players themselves that two big, powerful and mobile forwards are urgently required and an experienced play-maker.

Getnoticedonline.co.uk can reveal that Workington are still hoping to land at least one Fijian forward in time for the Co-operative Championship One season.

A senior source close to Town told us: “We thought that particular trail had gone cold but we’ve done more work on it this week and it’s a possibility. We are working hard to bring in the players who will strengthen the squad and ensure we have a much more successful season.”

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