Haven look to end losing run

Tom Sheldrake (knee) is only 50/50 while Keighley Cougars coach Barry Eaton says Tom Burton has a 60 per cent chance of playing.

However, Danny Jones will definitely return after missing last week’s game due to personal reasons.

Eaton said: “We’ve got one or two checks to make, especially in the outside backs.”

The former Dewsbury and Widnes stand-off expects a real battle on Sunday.

He said: “Both ourselves and Whitehaven have had a little bit of adversity and some difficult things to deal with this year, but we’ve got two games left and we want to finish well.

“We’re bottom of the table, but if we win on Sunday then we go above Whitehaven. Nobody wants to finish bottom of the pile. The good thing from our point of view is that this goal is in our hands. We’re pleased to say this is something that is firmly in our control.”

Derry Eilbeck is Whitehaven’s main doubt, according to coach Ged Stokes.

“He struggled with a hamstring problem last week and he hasn’t got much better this week,” said Stokes. “We’ll have to make a late decision on him, but it doesn’t look good.”

Stokes added: “We haven’t beaten Keighley this season. They’ve done us in the Northern Rail Cup and at our place in the league, so it would be nice to go down there and get one on them.”

Other than Eilbeck, Stokes is likely to field a similar squad to last week, when he gave a number of youngsters a first team opportunity.

He said: “They were very good and I was pleased with them. The scoreline got away from them in the end, but we’ve got to try to expose as many of these youngsters who we feel are part of our plans for next year.”