Both Haven & Leigh came from the Championship’s weekend in the sun with close victories. Haven claimed victory over fellow West Cumbrian side Workington which saw them end a four game losing streak and seen them climb ahead of Oldham out of their relegation places ahead of Saturday’s game. Leigh came back to defeat Bradford on the hooter at the division’s showpiece event in Blackpool.
Both clubs going into this round 16 fixture missing key players from their squads. The experienced Dave Allen and Jessie Joe Parker are missing from the Haven 19 man squad although they do welcome back Ed Chamberlain from Widnes on Dual Registration. Leigh are missing Gareth Hock, Micky Higham & Jamie Acton as the Centurions got their disciplinary meeting put back a week. This means all three players are automatically suspended until that hearing takes place. Neil Jukes does see the return of FuiFui MoiMoi and has brought in Travis Burns and Ben Evans in on loan from St Helens and Warrington respectively and the loanees have going straight into the travelling party for the trip to West Cumbria.
Whitehaven 19 man sqaud – Jouffret, Walker, Aiye, Brocklebank, Burns, Perez, Gore, Duffy, Newton, Coyle, Ince, Davies, Riley, Carberry, Fox, Calvert, T.Chapelhow, Holliday, Chamberlain.
Leigh 19 man squad – Higson, Worthington, Smith, Kay, Drinkwater, Weston, Hansen, Paterson, Hood, Maitua, MoiMoi, Hopkins, Armstrong, Fash, Whiting, Foster, Reynolds, Burns, Evans.
Prediction
Leigh by 32.