After suffering successive defeats over the Bank Holiday weekend Skolars will be looking to bounce back when they face Kingstone Press Championship side Whitehaven on Sunday at the Recreation ground in the third round of the Tetley’s Challenge Cup.

Whitehaven were promoted last season but not before Skolars scored a 41-26 victory over them in front of the Premier Sports TV cameras in the annual Friday Night Lights fixture at New River. Scoring Skolars first try in that victory was Neil Thorman, whose three year stay at Skolars came to an end the following week. Neil subsequently signed for Whitehaven and has put in some impressive performances since joining the Cumbrian outfit. Skolars head coach Joe Mbu will be only too aware of Thorman’s qualities.

March saw Skolars record three back to back victories in the Northern Rail Cup, which was enough to see the club through to the next round of the competition and guarantee the side at least a place in the Northern Rail Bowl, being played for at Halifax on Finals day in July. The team’s performances were also rewarded with two players, James Anthony and Rob Thomas, being named in the Northern Rail Cup team of the month.

Joe Mbu has continued to work hard to strenghten his squad and this was evidenced last week with the signing of Evan Simons and Sonny Hill, both of whom made their Skolars debuts on Easter Monday at Rochdale in the Northern Rail Cup.

The squad will travel up to Cumbria on Saturday, with the club’s travel partners Virgin Trains, and will then have a short journey to the Recretaion Ground on Sunday for the cup fixture, which kicks off at 2.00pm

There are no fresh injury concerns and Skolars will be going all out to win a place in Monday’s 4th round draw.