Whitehaven and Workington Town have been offered a young Cumbrian forward by Salford Red Devils.

Lewis Brown, 18, has a year left on his contract with the Super League club and, with no academy team this season, the Red Devils want to give him regular game time.

Raised in Workington, and brought through the age groups at Seaton, Brown has operated in the front row of the pack.

Whitehaven coach Carl Forster said: “I was approached by a pal at Salford to see if we would be interested in taking Lewis on loan.

"They want him to get some game time now they have scrapped their academy.

“He’s a young west Cumbrian lad, which is why they have spoken to us and Workington about a possible arrangement.”

Forster has already declared he’s happy with the squad of players he’s assembled for the 2017 League One season.

He added: “It’s been hard, but couldn’t have gone better, and after our session on December 22, we are giving them a break for Christmas and the New Year and will be meeting up again on January 3.

“That will give us almost a fortnight before the first friendly against Keighley and we are well on course.

“With four friendlies to blow away the cobwebs, I’m sure we are going to be spot-on for the opening league game of the season at South Wales.”

After Keighley (January 15), Barrow (January 22) and Newcastle Thunder (January 28), Whitehaven will travel to Workington on February 5 for the annual Ike Southard Memorial Trophy.

Now known as the Ironmen, their first competitive opponents from South Wales, have just had two days of intensive training at the Monmouth Rugby Union club when they were joined by eight trialists, several of whom are likely to be signed.