Fatialofa set for Haven come-back

By Martin Morgan

Last updated 12:42, Thursday, 26 June 2008

Top prop David Fatialofa will launch his return from long-term injury with a spell in Whitehaven’s reserve-grade, revealed boss Ged Stokes.

David Fatialofa

The Haven coach wants his Kiwi forward to have a couple of gruelling workouts in the reserves, with extended field time, before returning to first-team contention.

Fatialofa broke his arm against Leigh seven weeks ago and has featured in only seven matches this term due to injuries.

“David’s been out for a long time now, and I think he needs a couple of games in the reserve-grade,” Stokes said. “It’s no good brining him back and throwing him in to the first-team and getting only 10 minutes out of him.

“He understands totally that this is the best way to get his confidence back.”

Fatialofa is still very much in Stokes’ first-team plans, and the coach reckons he could prove a major asset in the latter stages of the NL1 campaign.

The prop is almost ready for action, though the reserve-grade, lying second in the league behind Leigh, have no match this weekend.

The first-team host Dewsbury on Sunday, and stand-off Tane Manihera, who missed last week’s 38-14 defeat at Halifax with a calf problem, could return to action.

Stokes said: “It’s an old injury he’s had for a few years and it flared up. He played through it last time and it got worse and worse. We’ll see how it goes in training.”

If Manihera is fit, Stokes is prepared to field the Kiwi, youngster Gregg McNally and fellow playmaker Carl Rudd in the same line-up.

Haven’s annual £10,000 Pride of Five draw will be held at half-time in the visit of Halifax on July 27.