ANDREW LAMBERT: May go straight back into York's line-up at Warrington

Returning Australian Andrew Lambert could go straight back into the York Wasps team to face the might of Warrington Wolves on Sunday, writes Dianne Hillaby.

The centre is due to return to England tomorrow from his homeland where he has been for the last six weeks.

And depending on his fitness, he may be thrust back into the heat of battle in the Challenge Cup fifth round tie at Wilderspool.

Coach Dean Robinson is not happy with the three-quarter line-ups he has tried this season so Lambert could be the answer to his problems.

In Sunday's defeat at Hull KR, winger Leroy McKenzie teamed up with Spencer Hargrave on the right with Rob Lee and Shaun Austerfield on the opposite flank.

But the partnerships were found wanting in defence and Robinson knows they have to tighten up against the Super League big-spenders.

He is already considering various permutations, but could well opt for Lambert and Lee in the centres with Spencer Hargrave reverting to his more familiar position in the back row.

Robinson always intented them as his first choice centre pairing but they have yet to play in the same side. Lee played just one game before missing the next five with broken ribs and it was during his absence that Lambert made his only two appearances for York. He flew home last month to be with his sick mother who has since passed away.

Scottish international Lambert was due back at the weekend but put his flight back until Wednesday. Robinson is now keeping his fingers crossed that he makes it this time, and that his fitness has not suffered too much during his time away.

Robinson said they would give him 24 hours to recover from the flight then take a look at him, but there is a possibility he could be given the unenviable task of marking Super League's joint top try-scorer last season, Toa Kohe-Love.

The prospect of facing Super League opposition has prompted Robinson to alter the team's preparation slightly in the run-up to the game.

He revealed: "The only difference is that we'll cut off anything strenuous from Thursday onwards when we'll concentrate solely on the game plan and ball work. I'm conscious we'll need as much energy going into the game as possible so as a one-off we'll try and make sure we're completely fresh going into Sunday.

"There is a bit of a risk element but it's going to be a very intense 80 minutes and I think we need people feeling full of it before we start. We did the same when we played Castleford last year and it seemed to work."

The build-up starts with training tonight which will be the first of three or four sessions ahead of the match.

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