CRAIG Lingard believes the return to fitness of Hamish Barnes will give Cougars more cutting edge down their right-hand side.

The centre made only his second appearance in Sunday's defeat at Newcastle Thunder since arriving back from Dewsbury Rams in April.

A knee ligament injury in his second 'debut' against Coventry Bears sidelined him for over a month and Lingard admitted Barnes looked a little off the pace on his comeback in the 36-12 reversal at Kingston Park last weekend.

But, ahead of Sunday's home encounter with London Skolars, the Cougars head coach is hoping Barnes can make the same impact he made in first spell, which saw him earn a move to Championship side Rams at the end of last season.

That move didn't work out but the Jamaican international scored a try against Coventry before injury forced him to miss the next three games.

Lingard said: "I've made no secret about wanting to get another centre in all year as we just had three out and out centres at the club which I didn’t think was enough.

"Hamish's type of threat is certainly what we are looking to get down that right side.

"We’re well set with our left side. Adam Ryder has scored 14 tries this season and Andy Gabriel has scored quite a few (11). Even Josh Tonks has got over for a few, so our left-hand side is quite effective.

"We needed more threat down our right, so we are not too one-dimensional.

"I’m sure that teams who have reviewed us in the past have said 'contain them down their left and you’ll do well.'

"Now we have Hamish down the right we should have more threat.

"He was a little off the pace against Newcastle but getting game time will be good for him."

Lingard delivered some 'home truths' at training on Tuesday in his review of Cougars' disappointing defeat at Newcastle, which saw them draw level on points in League One.

Skolars' 31-18 win over Oxford put them just a point behind seventh-placed Cougars and means Keighley face another crucial clash on Sunday.

Lingard said: "We keep stressing the importance of these 'four-point' games.

"It is important to take points off teams around us but also important to build momentum for the second half of the season.

"We've got to be beating these teams around us but our performances against them have not been good enough.

"That has to improve as we play London this week and York the next.

"If you have an off-day or off 40 minutes you get found out and we were found out on Sunday. We've got to get back to it soon."