New face lightens Whitehaven injury woe

Championship side Whitehaven have been hit by injuries to Leroy Joe and Howard Hill, but have signed winger Stephen Dawes.

Dawes, 25, is a former Workington player and moves to the Recreation Ground after a recent trial spell at Barrow.

He told the club’s official website: “I want to be developed as a player and as part of a team, and I think Ged will do that. He was New Zealand A coach, is very experienced and knows his stuff. I fell in to a bit of a rut at Town. Nothing against Town, but this is the league above and just one from Super League.

“If you want to do anything, it’s a short career, and I’ve got an opportunity to do something new.”

Meanwhile, coach Ged Stokes will be without playmaker Leroy Joe for around a month after the Kiwi broke his ankle. However, the 35-year-old’s injury didn’t require plaster and he could return to the side sooner than expected.

Veteran forward Howard Hill suffered a suspected broken hand in Sunday’s 54-10 win over Doncaster in the Northern Rail Cup.

Stokes added: “Hopefully, Howard won’t be out for too long, but he faces a stint on the sidelines.

“At least he can keep his conditioning up, though he may miss his weights a wee bit.”