Whitehaven will have first pull for a month on Salford’s French forward Levy Nzoungou who impressed in the win over Workington Town.

Oldham, this Sunday’s visitors to the Recreation Ground in the opening League One game of the season, have a dual-registration agreement with Salford.

They have already seen the potential of Nzoungou as he was in the Roughyeds team that hammered Keighley Cougars 52-6 in a pre-season friendly.

Oldham coach Scott Naylor has spoken to his Salford counterpart Ian Watson about the Nzoungou situation and knows that Whitehaven will be using the Frenchman against them.

It will not affect the Salford-Oldham dual-reg link-up and will be up for discussion when the prop’s loan deal with Haven runs out on March 2.

Matty While, who also joined Haven on the eve of the Ike Southward Memorial game from Barrow, is also with the Recreation Ground club until March 2.

In effect, both Nzoungou and While will only have the one competitive game on Sunday as neither are likely to be allowed to play in the third round of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup the following week.

Sunday’s clash with Oldham promises to be the stand-out League One game of the weekend.

Whitehaven are third favourites to win the league with Oldham the bookies pick as second favourites. The once mighty Bradford Bulls are favourites.

Kenny Hughes, who has had surgery on a damaged finger, and Liam Bent, who dislocated an elbow in the Law Cup win at Rochdale, have returned to training this week for Oldham.

Adam Jones has recovered from flu that forced him out of the win against Keighley while Gareth Owen is continuing his rehab on a serious foot injury.

Former Whitehaven prop Ben Davies has had a scan which has shown he does not need surgery to correct a back problem.

Davies played 56 games for Haven in 2015 and 2016.