Trio return for Skolars

Dave Arnot, Tony Williams and Cariern Clement-Pascall are all set to return for London Skolars.

Coach James Massara said: “We’ve got a pretty fit squad with no really major injury problems.”

Skolars had last week off but Massara insists his side are capable of finishing the season with a bang.

He added: “Before our game against Blackpool we’d taken five from a possible nine points against some pretty tough teams. We felt we could have got a couple of wins there, too.

“Things have really turned around and there were some angry men coming off the pitch against Blackpool who were annoyed when we’d not beaten them.”

But Gateshead Thunder remain capable of upsetting the Skolars. “We know exactly what Gateshead have been going through because we’ve been doing the same thing,” said Massara.

“This year there haven’t been any games we’ve gone into as favourites. People keep telling me we’re favourites for this game, but they beat us when we last played them. It’s going to be an absolute battle.”

Will Bate (hand) is rated as 50/50 but he is Thunder’s only injury concern.

Gateshead director of rugby Chris Hood said: “With the greatest respect to London, we’ve got to look to this game as one we can win. We’ve only picked up one win this year and that was against London.

“It gives us an opportunity to start performing. We’re definitely targeting it as a game we can win, but James (Massara) has got a fantastic bunch of lads who have been going well. I’m sure they’ll be looking at it as a game they can win too.”