Oxford - Tom Alexander, Josh Atkinson, Stuart Biscomb, Harvey Burnett, Casey Canterbury, Will Cooke, James Cryer, Jordan Gill, Jake Joynt, Curtis Macdonald, Dwaine McRae, Brad Moules, Tommy Newbould, Aaron Nicholson, Liam O'Callaghan, Jack Pickles, Kane Riley, Jordan Siddons, Callum Windley

Dual reg - Brad Moules (Wakefield)
Loan - none

Changes from last week:
Out - Andy Hoggins, Scott Fleming, Jake Foster (trialist), Marcus Brooker, Anthony Cox, Clark McAllister
In - Tom Alexander, James Cryer, Jordan Gill, Tommy Newbould, Aaron Nicholson, Jordan Siddons

So a welcome return (probably from injury) for Jordan Siddons and Tommy Newbould. Not sure if Tom Alexander might have had a knock to miss out last week as well. However, it does rather look as though it's southern-based players who have dropped out of the squad. Given that Tim Rumford said in League Express this week that the aim for 2017 was to make the League 1 Shield final, perhaps he's giving them a break before the next league game which is 3 weeks off.


Whitehaven - Elliot Miller, Craig Calvert, Chris Taylor, Jessie Joe Parker, Jordan Burns, Steve Roper, Paul Crook, Marc Shackley, James Newton, Carl Forster (player-coach), Scott McAvoy, Karl Olstrom, James Tilley, Connor Holliday, Tommy Holland, Glenn Riley, Kurt Maudling, Brown, Shane Ackerley


Three preview articles from Whitehaven's local paper (not sure that I agree with the coach in today's piece):

15 March - Star forward Dave Allen is unlikely to be risked by Whitehaven in Sunday’s Ladbrokes Challenge Cup fourth round tie with Oxford (2pm kick-off). Allen, who is itching to get back into action, is being readied for his seasonal debut at Hunslet the following week. Coach Carl Forster said: “I think the Recreation Ground pitch is likely to be heavy again on Sunday, and that’s not the underfoot conditions you want coming back from an ankle injury. We have pencilled in the trip to Hunslet on March 26 as the game to kick off Dave’s season.” Allen has not played a competitive game since chipping a bone in his ankle when he slipped off a ladder at work.

The clash with Hunslet will see Whitehaven up against their former coach James Coyle who got a second league win at the weekend when the Hawks won easily, 58-10, at Hemel Stags. Whitehaven’s Player of the Year in 2016 Allen has continued to train with the squad, although he has been restricted to light body work. Karl Olstrum had not played a game until last Sunday when he came straight into the starting line-up for the game with title favourites Toronto Wolfpack. In strength-sapping conditions, Olstrum turned in a remarkable performance. “We see that all the time from Karl in training,” added Forster. “He’s just a fitness freak, and the way he performed against Toronto for his first game of the season was just remarkable.” Olstrum had been serving a six-match ban, which had started last season when he was a Workington Town player, but it looked as though he hadn’t missed a game. Whitehaven might have been disappointed with the crowd against Toronto Wolfpack – 643 – but it was the biggest attendance out of eight League One matches.

16 March - Whitehaven player-coach Carl Forster is hoping that Sunday’s excellent showing in the 24-10 defeat against hot title favourites Toronto Wolfpack can drive his team to greater things. Forster was in the thick of the action as Whitehaven pushed Wolfpack all the way. And, on the back of the superb performance, he said: “I think we can take a lot of heart from our effort against the top-rated team in the competition. That followed two victories against West Hull, in the Challenge Cup, and South Wales Ironmen, in the league. I hope now we can take things forward by making progress in the cup and follow up with more league victories.”

Whitehaven host Oxford in the fourth round of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup on Sunday (2pm) and Forster is looking to advance in the competition and pull Super League opposition to boost the Recreation Ground coffers. “We won’t be taking anything for granted just because we have home advantage," said Forster. “Oxford are one of the improving teams in the south and we will be treating them with respect. Our disappointing pre-season programme of friendlies is behind us now and I said at the time we would be fine once we got all our players back." Oxford have already had wins against fellow expansion teams Coventry, South Wales and Hemel before losing 20-6 at home to Workington Town on Sunday.

17 March - With heavy rain forecast for the weekend, the Recreation Ground is likely to produce another mud bath when Whitehaven host Oxford. The two League One rivals are going head-to-head in the fourth round of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup. Whitehaven coach Carl Forster has looked at a recording of Oxford’s game with Workington Town last week, and accepts that heavy going might suit the visitors. He said: “They have some really big, athletic forwards so they might enjoy the conditions we can expect on Sunday. But we showed we can handle those conditions against Toronto Wolfpack and the fact that we drew the second half 10-10 against a full-time team proved that our fitness levels are high. It’s going to be another strength-sapping contest but I think we will be more used to it than they will. I’m looking for a strong, professional performance from the lads.”

Dave Allen trained again on Wednesday and joined in the running after being restricted to light work so far because of his ankle injury. It is still unlikely Forster will risk Allen in heavy conditions, but instead is likely to be kept for the trip to Hunslet the following week. One player who will be back in consideration, though, is record-breaking winger Craig Calvert who has returned to full training after one or two setbacks. Calvert suffered from a virus and an ankle injury in the build-up to the season but is available for selection for Sunday’s clash with Oxford. For the fifth round of the cup, last season’s bottom teams in Super League, will be included in the draw – Salford, Huddersfield and Leeds along with the promoted side Leigh Centurions.

Should have also mentioned that this is the live game on BBC Radio Cumbria, and you should be able to listen via the web unless there are different rights issues for the Challenge Cup.

Listen live from 2pm Sunday at:
[urlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_radio_cumbria[/url

On demand after the game at:
[urlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04vj549[/url