LANCASHIRE Lynx face their most difficult away game this season at New Craven Park against championship chasing Hull KR tomorrow.

Lynx coach Steve Hampson was more upbeat after last week's defeat against Batley.

For the performance of the ever-improving Neil Alexander, who ran in four of Lynx's five tries, and the returns of David Jones and Steve Gee gave some hope that the run of defeats would soon come to an end.

More good news this week should be the return of hooker John Donno who has recovered from a groin operation.

However, this is tempered by the news that Ian Gildart will be out for at least six weeks after breaking a bone in his hand and Andy Bennett will also be missing with knee ligament damage.

Close season signing Kyle White has returned to Australia after playing only a handful of games for the club. The defence in some areas is still causing some concern to Hampson and this week he has had at least six new players training with the squad. Last week he included Darren Geritas, who impressed when coming on as a substitute. The club's academy side are enjoying a prosperous season so far winning three of their opening five matches, as a result two of the outstanding players Paul Johnson and Neil Prescott could also be included in the squad.

Hull KR are virtually invincible on their own ground, but this season have struggled to overcome sides winning games by narrow margins and only drawing with lowly Oldham earlier in the season.

Last weekend they slipped to a 27-30 defeat at promotion rivals Leigh after holding a 20-10 half time lead. This defeat saw them slip to third place, one point off the top two clubs,

All their attacking options revolve round the mercurial Stanley Gene who is regarded as the best scrum half outside of the Super League, but he missed last week's game through injury and if he is still missing this will certainly help Lynx's cause.

Lynx will select from: Murray, David Jones, Danny Jones, Abram, Parsley, Alexander, Flanagan, Norton, Donno, Prest, Gee, Solomon, Hodgkinson, Walsh, Smith, Shaun Geritas, Danny Gritas, Guest, Johnson, Prescott. 3pm start.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.