By Martin Morgan

Published at 11:12, Thursday, 09 February 2012

CONFIDENT new recruit Richard Varkulis believes Whitehaven can ‘do a Doncaster’ and reach the Northern Rail Cup final.

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And the ex-Widnes prop is ready to step up to the plate to help Haven take their first steps towards the Blackpool showpiece at Hunslet on Sunday (3pm).

Varkulis, perhaps the best-known of Haven’s close-season recruits after a glittering career at Championship level, missed the club’s last two friendlies against Oldham and Leeds Rhinos, after his wife gave birth.

But he is now available to resume and should be in strong contention for a place in the side to travel to South Leeds Stadium.

“With this squad I think we’ll be competitive in the Northern Rail. Most people expect us to win four games and qualify for the knockout stage, and anything can happen then,” he said.

“Doncaster made it in to the final and I don’t see why we can’t. I really think we have a strong enough squad and team spirit is brilliant. We are all ready to go.

“I’m really, really enjoying it at the club. From top to bottom everyone has been brilliant. I am 100 per cent sure I made the right decision to come to Whitehaven.”

Varkulis has not played since Haven faced Workington Town at Derwent Park last month but featured in the squad’s big weekend training session at Widnes.

“We had a good run-out against each other and that helped,” he added. “Match fitness only comes with game time.”

Doncaster belied their status to reach the final from the third tier in 2008, where they were beaten by red-hot favourites Salford

After Hunslet, Haven host Gateshead, travel to Workington and round off the group stage against visitors Barrow.

And while many clubs face tougher groups, there are clearly several potential banana skins in their section.

Haven were this week tipped in the Rugby League Express as the Championship One club most likely to progress to the quarter-finals.

But coach Don Gailer, while happy with his squad, is not getting carried away by the prediction amid tough competition and believes the picture will take a few matches to unfold.

He said: “Everyone’s bolstering their books. You can think you’ve got a good squad but nine other clubs are saying the same thing.

“They are all pretty confident about promotion. We’ll get a better idea four or five weeks in to the season.”

Haven are to have a say on the Championship One promotion issue after the initial plan to promote the top side, both Grand Finalists and the next highest-placed team was scrapped.

One proposal is to automatically promote the top four teams at the end of the season.

The issue is more important than ever this term as four development clubs from outside the game’s heartlands will join Championship One in 2013, prompting clubs to boost efforts to move up to the second tier at the end of the current campaign.

Craig Calvert was thought to be out of contention for the Hunslet game due to a leg injury, but the winger returned with a storming training session this week which could put him back in the reckoning.

This week’s Pride of Five £100 winners are Nicky Brannon, Snebro Road, Mirehouse, with ticket number 1,817; Mark McVeigh, Old Smithfield, Egremont, 2,367; D Rowe, Swallow Hill, Distington, 622; J Amor, Peel Gardens, Bigrigg, 127.

Blue Club draw: £250 - V Quinn, ticket number 68; £100 - J Burns, 12; £50 each: R Napier, 63; B Woodend, 103; G Gailer, 145.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk