Last updated at 11:54, Saturday, 04 August 2012

Teenage prop Jack Gaskell will make his league debut in Workington Town’s clash with hosts Gateshead Thunder tomorrow (3pm).

Jack Gaskell

Gaskell, from Broughton, joined Town in July last year aged 16 after a season with Warrington Wolves in their Under-16 scholarship set-up and is seen as a fine prospect at Derwent Park.

He was named in a couple of squads for Northern Rail Cup games early in the campaign and enjoyed an impressive stint in the Rugby League Nines.

And his patience has now been rewarded with a Championship One call-up against struggling Gateshead.

“It has probably been a long year for him, but he deserves his chance,” said coach Gary Charlton. “He has trained well and bided his time.

He has been to every training session he could get to and had a go, and he hasn’t let us down whenever he has worn the shirt.”

Gaskell will be joined in the team by prop Adam Walne, 21, who this week joined Town on dual registration from Super League Salford City Reds.

A member of Salford’s first-team squad, he has been plying his trade in their Under-20s and comes highly-recommended.

“You can’t beat young, enthusiastic lads, especially if they have ability, as this lad seems to have,” Charlton added.

“It will be a step-up playing against men, but it looks like he can handle it.

“We had been down to our last 18 players and you can’t go through to the end of the season with that number.”

Town will be hot favourites to return to winning ways against the basement club tomorrow after suffering only their third league defeat of the season last week, going down 22-6 at Doncaster.

“We will prepare well and put all the little things right,” the coach continued.

“We didn’t shirk in defence against Doncaster, making 392 tackles and missing only eight.

“But we ran out of steam because of all the tackling, which is why we looked a little off the pace.

“We made too many errors in attack and gave away too many penalties.”

First published at 10:49, Saturday, 04 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk