FORMER Batley Bulldog Lee Kelly has joined the Cougars to add power to the club's lightweight pack.

Kelly, who was an Under-23 amateur international, will add much-needed size and weight to Gary Moorby's front row. He is six feet tall and weighs in at 16st 7lbs.

"Lee is a very powerful player and will add a new dimension to our front row. He also gives me a full compliment of four forwards so that I can rotate them properly during a match.

"In the modern game the forwards have to put in such a big workrate, leading the tackling and driving the ball up the middle of the park, that they have to be played in spells to get th best out of them," Gary Moorby said.

He was also give a major boost after a second doctor examined Phil Stephenson's injury and gave him the green light to resume training.

"At first we thought he would not be able to train for several weeks, but he is already back in action on the training field and will be able to play in full game much sooner than we thought at first.," he said.

Surgeons fitted a metal plate after Stephenson fractured bones around his eye in the Buddies National Cup game against Sheffield Eagles on April 21.

At first medical staff said he would be unable to play for at least three months.

Now they have said he could be clear to play again by the middle of June and if he continues to make good progress could be back in the starting line-up for the home game against Rochdale on June 16.

Moorby and his squad have spent the last three weeks working a mini pre-season training schedule aiming to build up strength and stamina ready for the return to Northern Ford Premiership action against Oldham on June 2.

Fitness expert Paul Royston has had the squad working on weights in the gym and running up hills to build up their stamina.

"Even before the end of the first half of the season the improvement in our levels of fitness were starting to shine through, and I'm sure fans will see a big change when we return to action. The atmosphere in the squad is superb and we are starting to get some real competition for places.

"We know we aren't the biggest team in the league and we have to work on our strengths. Hopefully in the coming weeks we will see some warmer weather which will take a toll on the big teams.

"Hopefully we will be just that little bit stronger and a little bit sharper than we were before the break."

n Club chairman Neil Spencer is to have talks with legal advisors next week as plans for Guiseley FC's move to Cougar Park take shape.

"If they are to start playing in Keighley by August we need to make progress fairly quickly, the time to the start of the football season will fly by," Mr Spencer said.