Sunday sees Hornets venture into the winter wastelands of Cumbria with a lovely trip to Workington. Waiting for us at Derwent park is a town side unbeaten at home in the league this season and who gave a good account of themselves against Halifax in the Challenge Cup before going down by 20 points.

One look down the Town squad shows you what a robust and competitive side Gary Murdoch's put together at Derwent Park. The big, mobile pack really is the engine room of this team - strong running Ricky Wright twinned at prop with hard-hitting Hitro Okesene, industrious Carl Sice at hooker completing a quality front row. Big on defence, Anthony Samuel runs at second row alongside Kiwi Lokeni Savelio - who's doubtful for Sunday. Kevin Hetherington may replace him. The infamous and uncompromising Gary Chrlton slots in at loose forward. However you cut it, it's an impressive six - and Hornets' pack will have to be at its absolute best to get to grips with it.

But the real problems for visitors to Derwent park come from half back where Martin Wood and Tane Manihera have the ability to take teams apart. Talk among supporters is that it's at half back where Hornets have singularly failed to spark this season and the Town pairing pose the biggest test yet. If ever our half backs needed a big game to shake them out of their early season torpor - this is it. Give these guys an inch and they'll take 50 yards or more - and with that big pack coming off them they'll really see whether Hornets are contenders or pretenders.

Hally is hopeful that Brendan O'Meara will be back to add some much needed steel to our defence. But it may be a little early to see Marlon back in the 13 - Casey Mayberry drops straight in.

Make no mistake, this is a big, big game. Whilst having lost three games to Hornets' one, Workington sit four places above us in fourth, with one point more and having played two games more. If Hornets are to restore a more realistic look to the table, hoist themselves in amongst the leading pack and replace Workington in the top four, we have to produce our game of the season so far.

Games like this one are the ones you need to win. Not just for the points, but to send a message out to the rest of the league that you really do mean business. A good win at Workington will make the whole division sit up - and give us the confidence to kick on and play as well as we know we can.

It was at Workington last season that Martin Hall began his coaching odyssey that saw us exceed all expectations. We were awful, we got hammered and it rammed home the size of the task he had. We don't need a repeat this time.

If ever you were going to make a a long trip to see a big game, it's here. Hornets need all the support we can muster on Sunday - be there if you can. You'd be mad to miss it.