By Martin Morgan

Last updated 16:01, Wednesday, 21 May 2008

PLAYMAKER Carl Rudd is targeting a return to action for Whitehaven in just over two weeks following successful knee surgery on Tuesday.

Comeback: Carl Rudd hopes to face Featherstone following knee surgery

The stand-off underwent knee reconstruction surgery four years ago, and he admitted he initially feared the worst when injuring the joint in last week’s heavy defeat at Wigan.

But after being fitted in to Dai Rees’ diary in double-quick time – the top Oswestry-based surgeon recently operated on Wigan superstar Trent Barrett – Rudd hopes to be available to face Featherstone at the Recre on June 8.

“When I first got the injury, I would have taken missing just two matches,” said Rudd, who had cartilage trimmed and debris cleared from inside the knee.

“Dai Rees was quite pleased with his work. He said it would be like brand new, so was happy.”

Haven are talking to an Aussie stand-off, though nothing has been agreed.

Ged Stokes has not yet seen the player perform on tape, and the coach believes the immediate pressure to recruit a playmaker is off, given the good news about Rudd, though he is also thinking longer-term.

“We are pursuing an Australian player, but we need people with European or British passports. They are very few and far between at the moment,” said Stokes, who does not believe there is great depth in the British game at present and would like to see import quota rules relaxed, to give coaches more scope to develop their squads.

“We are running a professional club and should be able to bring in people we need. We suffer from not being able to bring in players from overseas.”

In the absence of a host of injured first-choice players, Rudd included, Haven went down to a 36-20 defeat at Batley on Sunday. And the stand-off warned that Haven must dig deep to reach the play-offs this term.

“We just need to get a bit of confidence back,” Rudd said. “We concede one or two tries and our heads go down.

“I can’t remember the last time we got a bonus point. We need to get our attitude sorted out. When we go one or two tries down we need to start building pressure, rather than trying to score off every play.

“We’ve had some really good performances, and I thought after the Widnes game we had turned it around.

“We’ve been living off the win against Celtic Crusaders for a while and we need to get back to that level.

“When we get all our players back, we are capable of getting in the top six.”

Haven’s reserve-grade beat Featherstone 20-0 at the Recre last weekend and travel to Rochdale on Saturday.

Trialist John Patrick, Gregg McNally and Chris Smith touched down against Rovers, McNally adding four goals.

McNally has been invited to spend a month with Leeds Rhinos, training and playing alongside many of the game’s leading juniors in their Under-18s.

The 17-year-old spent a week training with the Rhinos’ youngsters in February, though, when he returns to Headingley in July, he will also have a chance to showcase his talent in match action.

“I can’t wait for it, to be honest,” McNally said. “I’ll be playing a few games when I’m down there, and we’ll see how it progresses.

“A lot of people are saying I should go for it as I have nothing to lose. I just want to do the best I can in the game.”

The half-back has another year to complete at Whitehaven School sixth-form, and he is keeping an open mind about his future in rugby league.

Free tickets for families of four are still available from the Recre and Unique Sports for next week’s home clash with Salford, shown live on Sky Sports.

Prop Ryan McDonald was banned for one match on Tuesday night following a bust-up against Leigh earlier this month. He will miss the Salford match.

Last week’s Pride of Five £100 winners were: J Clements, High Road, Kells, with ticket number 144; M Jobson, Dale View Gardens, Egremont, 495; G Rhodes, Sandringham Avenue, Red Lonning, 2,655; M Kirk, Dryden Way, Egremont, 3,475; M Rowell, High Road, Kells, 844.