SHEFFIELD EAGLES halfback or hooker Kai Morgan says the prospect of hosting Warrington in round three of the Challenge Cup provides a great incentive when Craig Lingard’s side face Whitehaven for the second time in six days on Saturday.
But the 21-year-old who played for the old Salford last season knows the Cumbrian club’s players will be thinking exactly the same thing.
The sides, who clashed in round one of the Championship in the far north-west of England last Sunday with the Eagles 11-4 winners, now meet at the Steel City Stadium in round two of the Cup.
While Whitehaven had a home meeting with Warrington in last season’s third round, when they lost 44-4, Sheffield faced Wigan in South Yorkshire, going down 48-12.
Morgan, who featured in Salford’s 46-10 third-round win at Midlands Hurricanes and 26-16 home victory over Bradford at the next stage, kicking five goals from as many attempts, said: “It’s a great draw.
“Warrington are a top team with a good coach and they always bring a decent number of fans, so playing them would be big for us.
“But we have to get past Whitehaven first. They are a strong side and they will be thinking about the possibility of taking on Warrington, just as we are.”
Morgan, a product of Halifax community club Siddal who was in the Leeds Academy ranks, is enjoying himself at Sheffield.
“Pre-season has been good, and we’re all excited about getting going,” he added.
“We had a good run-out at Keighley, and while we missed out on the Batley match (because of an unfit pitch at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium), which would have been useful, a lot of other sides are in a similar situation.”