Whitehaven trio keen to make impression in derby
Whitehaven trio Alex Bishop, Josh Martin and Will Evans are hoping to make an impression in front of the fans when they take on Workington on Sunday.
The trio all joined ahead of the 2022 season. They could make their first appearance in the Chocolate, Blue and Gold on Sunday.
Whitehaven welcome Cumbrian rivals Workington, where the pair will compete for the Southward Memorial Trophy. It is their first game of pre-season. They have a second friendly against Swinton lined up.
Pre Season Friendlies: List of pre-season friendlies for 2022
The Championship season then gets underway when they travel to Leigh at the end of the month.
When asked about how pre-season was going, Bishop told Whitehaven’s social media: “It’s going good. The boys have told me the weather has been mild- February is meant to be colder, so I’ll look forward to throwing myself into that.
“The boys have welcomed us really well, we’ve had a good week of training now and are looking forward to Sunday.”
Evans added on the squad: “The boys have been really good, helping us to transition and get to know us. They have been very welcoming and made the transition easy. They are a good bunch of lads.
Meanwhile, Martin said he was looking forward to the challenge of playing in the championship, saying: “I hear it’s good. It’s a tough hard game, the work with the footy is different to what we are used to over in Australia.
“It will be good to get out on Sunday and see what it’s like.”
Whitehaven/Workington “certainly not a friendly
The Ike Southward Memorial Trophy returns in 2022, having previously been shelved in 2021 because of the pandemic.
Whitehaven and Workington are also back in the same league for the first time since 2019, when Whitehaven were promoted from League One as champions.
Bishop added on the rivalry: “From what I’ve been told, it’s a pretty big game. It’s definitely not a friendly from what I have heard.
“I don’t think the Aussie boys will have experienced an atmosphere like it before, but we are really looking forward to it.”
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