DANNY BOY TO TACKLE WIGAN

By Martin Morgan

Last updated 11:37, Tuesday, 13 May 2008

TOP young prospect Danny Barker will make his first appearance of the season for Whitehaven tonight – in the cauldron of the JJB Stadium (7.30pm).

Cup for it: Danny Barker who makes his first appearance of the season

And the experience of stepping up to the plate against Super League opposition in the Challenge Cup will not be new to the 19-year-old reserve-grade starlet, who appeared in the fifth round at Warrington two years ago.

“It’s a huge occasion for him,” said assistant coach Les Ashe today. “On paper, you don’t get much bigger than Wigan.

“But he has bags of potential. He’s a rangy and athletic back-row forward. He’s going to be a good player, though inevitably, he has work to do on his upper body.

“The form of some of the reserve-grade lads has been outstanding over the last two or three weeks, and they have to know that if they play well there, they have a chance in first-grade.

“We want to be very professional through the whole experience tonight and we’ll try to compete. We aren’t going there to make up the numbers.

“But it is Super League versus NL1, full-time against part-time.”

Prop Scott Teare is called up for the first time by new boss Ged Stokes, while centre Derry Eilbeck is recalled.

Young reserves Greg McNally and Chris Smith are named 18th and 19th men.

Wigan are set to give a debut to teenage half-back Sam Tomkins

The younger brother of first-team forward Joel, who this week signed a new two-year contract with the Warriors, gets his chance because New Zealand’s Thomas Leuluai is expected to be jet-lagged following his whistle-stop trip to Sydney and back for Friday’s Centenary Test.

Wigan welcome back second row pair Gareth Hock and Phil Bailey from suspension and illness respectively as they look to bounce back from the embarrassment of their 57-16 defeat by St Helens in Cardiff last weekend.

Noble admits their 10-try thrashing is still hurting and says he is ready to swing the axe if his players do not respond.

“We were very disappointed,” he said. “It hurt everybody. It hurt me and it hurt the Wigan fans who have been very, very loyal.

“Excuses are running out for certain people. It’s important that we respond.

“It’s important that we recognise that everyone has to show up for this team. We have to re-instil some confidence and re-instil some back-to-basic beliefs that I have.”

Haven suffered a club record 98-4 defeat when they visited Wigan in the fourth round in 2000 and have not beaten the Cherry and Whites since enjoying an 8-5 home win in 1982.

Their only away win was back in 1972 at the old Central Park ground in the last season of the old one league system.

The Cumbrians will be without recent signings Martin Gambles, Andy Gorski and Tane Manihera, who are all ineligible, and long-serving overseas duo Leroy Joe and David Fatialofa, who both broke their arms in the last game against Leigh.

Hooker Carl Sice is also sidelined with a fractured a bone in his hand.

Wigan: Richard Mathers, Mark Calderwood, Darrell Goulding, George Carmont, Pat Richards, Trent Barrett, Stuart Fielden, Mickey Higham, Iafeta Paleaaesina, Gareth Hock, Phil Bailey, Sean O’Loughlin, Liam Colbon, Andy Coley, Harrison Hansen, Paul Prescott, Joel Tomkins, Eamon O’Carroll, Sam Tomkins.