Championship Preview: Whitehaven v Batley (Sun)

Whitehaven coach Dave Woods is waiting for news on which dual-registration players he has available before finalising his squad to face Batley Bulldogs.

Sixth-placed Whitehaven are sure to remain in the top eight this week – but Woods knows the pressure remains on in the race to the play-offs.

Woods said: “We were really disappointed with our last 20 minutes last week, but the good thing is we know we can compete against the top sides – we’ve just got to do it for 80 minutes.

“This game’s really important and home advantage is great for us. It’s a tough place to come to and we generally play well at home.”

Batley’s Ash Lindsay is “very, very doubtful” to face Whitehaven, according to Bulldogs coach John Kear.

Ayden Faal (knee) is also in doubt ahead of a match Kear has challenged his side to “nail”.

Kear said: “We’re making incorrect decisions at crucial parts of the game and they’re costing us. We need to learn from those.

“The really great teams stick to the plan and never get bored with sticking to it. That’s something we need to learn.

“Going away in this league and winning is difficult, but we need to nail a difficult one.”