SEDGLEY Tigers’ new signing Mike Waywell is lined up to make his debut on Saturday.

The Whitefield men recruited the centre to plug the gap at the back caused by early-season injuries to two of their first-choice back three.

He played in the Sedgley second team last weekend and is expected to feature in the first of two successive home games for the first XV on Saturday.

“He’s a good player and we have copped for a few injuries in the backs, so bringing him in will really help us,” said manager Geoff Roberts.

“We played him in the second team on Saturday to bring him up to speed.

“We think he will play this week and we think he could be an excellent signing.”

Waywell, who will be 25 next week, made 101 appearances for Fylde – scoring 46 tries – before a five-month stint with Hong Kong Premiership side Kowloon.

He returned to Fylde at the start of the year.

Jamie Harrison (broken collar bone) and Rob Holloway (broken and dislocated thumb) suffered their injuries in a pre-season game and the first game of the season, respectively, to leave a big gap in the back row.

The Park Lane men believe Waywell will be a big plus in that area, starting on Saturday when they will look to bounce back from last weekend’s narrow 29-24 defeat at Preston Grasshoppers, who are expected to be one of the better teams in the National League Division Two North.

Jonny Matthews scored two tries in six minutes before half time to take the score from 15-9 down to 21-15 in front at the break.

Steve Collins got the rest of Sedgley’s points with four penalties and one conversion.

“They (Preston) are going to be one of the teams who are going to be up there,” said Roberts.

“They were fourth last year and have strengthened, so it would have been a wonderful game to have won.

“It was a very tight affair, and disappointing because we were close to pulling it off.

“We knew it would be a point or two either way, and even up to the final minutes we were in with a chance.

“Our forwards played well but overall we were not quite on our game and they scored off our mistakes.

“They were in front throughout the first half until right on half time when we got in front and I thought that was going to be the turning point.

"But they got the first score in the second half from a dodgy bounce that could have gone anywhere.”

Tigers, who now have one win and one defeat in the league, are at home to Sheffield Tigers on Saturday (kick off 2.30pm) before another local derby against Macclesfield at Park Lane seven days later.