By Martin Morgan

Last updated 09:15, Saturday, 17 May 2008

VETERAN Kiwi Tane Manihera will step up for his first-team debut for Whitehaven at Batley tomorrow, forming a new half-back partnership with Marc Bainbridge – 13 years his junior.

With Carl Rudd sidelined for a month with a knee injury suffered in Monday’s heavy Challenge Cup defeat at Wigan, boss Ged Stokes has reassessed his half-back options.

And he has opted to pair his old Workington Town ace Manihera, now 33, with youngster Bainbridge, who will switch to stand-off. New half-back Martin Gambles, who joined the club from Blackpool last week, will debut off the bench.

Stokes reckons the new combination could help Haven at Mount Pleasant (3pm), as they are an unknown quantity.

“People will look at it and find it hard to analyse, because they haven’t seen it,” said the coach, who is looking forward to Manihera’s vocal approach, directing his team around the field.

“Even when Carl’s on the field, we are a quiet team, but Tane will demand to get to certain areas. Players respond to that. He will have to curb his passing game a little until players get used to it.

“Tane has the reputation of not being a very good defender, but I beg to differ. He’s not the greatest in the world, but he’s not the worst.”

Haven beat the Bulldogs 12 consecutive times before the Yorkshire side’s shock 19-6 success at the Recre in March, in Paul Crarey’s final game in charge before he stepped down on health grounds.

“I have gone on record as saying we will put things right, and that’s not just for Wigan but for the last Batley game,” Stokes said.

“We have to get the points back to balance the books.

“Batley are going well and are probably going to have players coming back from injury.”