Last updated at 13:38, Wednesday, 09 May 2012

Pupils at a Whitehaven school go in to tonight’s Carnegie Champion Schools final in Bradford confident of proving they are the best of British.

Jordan Burns

St Benedict’s Year 11s, a side bursting with professional prospects attached to Super League clubs, face Sirius Academy of Hull (7.30pm) at Grattan Stadium, home of Bradford Bulls.

Saints’ coach Paul Farrell said: “The lads are confident in their own and the team’s ability. I think it’s their year.

“Sirius is the home base of Hull FC’s scholarship squads, and Hull encourage their scholars to go to Sirius so they can be coached in and out of school time. But our lads are absolutely buzzing, and up for it.

“Brooksbank, of Halifax, who we beat in the semi-final, have history with Sirius.

“They have met six times in the last three years, Brooksbank winning four and Sirius taking the other two.

“Sirius beat them by between two and four points, but we are the only side to put 46 on Brooksbank, in the semi-final.

“They are a typical Hull side, big, physical and aggressive, and discipline has to be key for us, especially early in the game.”

The Saints’ squad includes seven youngsters from Wath Brow and six from Kells, with three from Egremont.

St Benedict’s: Cole Walker-Taylor, Luke Davison, Greg Howland, Kurtis Quinn, Callum Farrer, Tom Carruthers, Jake Moore (all Wath Brow); Arni Suafoa, Connor Hetherington, Jordan Burns, Dominic Wear, Joe Riley, Daniel Caine (all Kells); Will Agnew, Danny Hodgson, Adam McGrady (all Egremont); Stephen Bradley (unattached).

First published at 11:27, Wednesday, 09 May 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk