WORKINGTON Town head coach Phil Veivers will give captain Graeme Mattinson an opportunity to prove his fitness on Sunday ahead of this weekend's game against Sheffield Eagles.

Mattinson is recovering from shoulder surgery which he had in the off-season and has been named in the 19-man squad.

The hooker missed Town's pre-season games but is fighting to be a part of tomorrow's matchday squad.

"We're going to give him until the last minute to prove himself," Veivers said. "We'll have to see how he goes on the day."

Australian prop Ryan Verlinden has been named in the squad and could make his debut at Zebra Claims Stadium tomorrow.

"He's been here two weeks and has had four sessions with us," Veivers continued. "He looks in good shape and is in good nick, so he'll probably get his chance.

"We've named a 19-man squad and that's all we've got at the moment, it's pretty bare bones.

"We've got players to come back from surgery but this game has come too early for them.

"We'll certainly be rolling our sleeves up and putting a performance in.

"It would be good to get a big crowd down for our first game of the season too."

Second-row forward Brett Phillips is serving a one-match ban after being sin-binned in the derby fixture with Whitehaven.

Workington Town's 19-man squad: Carter, Coward, Doran, Forber, Forrester, Gordon, Hulme, Mattinson, McAvoy, Mossop, C Murphy, J Murphy, Olstrom, C Phillips, Ritson, Rooney, Scholey, Verlinden, Whiteley.

  • Whitehaven head coach James Coyle may give debuts to three players in tomorrow's Championship opening fixture at Halifax.

New signings Nathan Lucock, Elliot Miller and Glenn Riley have each been named in Coyle's 19-man squad for the first game of the season.

Chris Taylor returns to the side after serving a one-match ban for his involvement in a striking incident in the derby fixture with Workington a fortnight ago.

Haven travel to West Yorkshire in search of their first opening-day win since 2013.

Whitehaven's 19-man squad: Aiye, Allen, Beaumont, Brocklebank, Burns, Calvert, Chamberlain (DR), J Chapelhow (DR), T Chapelhow (DR), Davies, Fox, Gore, Jouffret, Lucock, Miller, Newton, Parker, Riley, Taylor