Gateshead Thunder coach Stanley Gene says that new signing Jamie Rooney is already starting to have an impact at the club.

Rooney made a try scoring debut in the 50-16 win at South Wales Scorpions and is again set for a key role against Skolars.

Gene said: “He’s really, really impressed me.

“This is a kid who’s played at the highest level but has come down and done extras before and after training.

“He brings a lot of experience for the other guys and showed some really good touches last weekend.

“I’ve seen two DVDs of Skolars including their game against York, and they are very strong and physical up the middle.

“They have some really athletic kids out there, and if we underestimate them or take them lightly they will give us a shock.”

Centre Chris Heil is a doubt with an ankle injury, and Gene revealed that he is currently looking for a fullback and an experienced forward.

Skolars coach Joe Mbu is looking forward to pitting his wits against Gene.

Mbu said: “I played against Stan and trained with him at Huddersfield for a while.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for him – I’m sure he will bring the experience and toughness he had as a player to the squad.

“The performance at York was disappointing for us.

“Even though we had a couple of injuries including Matt Bradley at seven, we should be competent to play without him.

“We’re making life hard for ourselves and need to be better in terms of execution.”