Cameron Woodward is ready to turn it on for Eastbourne Eagles after giving up working as a plumber Down Under.

The 21-year-old Australian makes his overdue home debut for Eagles tonight in their televised tussle with Elite League champions Coventry Bees at Arlington.

He is the third man to fill the No. 6 spot for Eagles after Brent Werner was ruled out by a broken collarbone.

Werner is now close to full fitness, which means Woodward's stint with Eagles could be a short one, possibly only three fixtures.

But he reckons he can do enough to either make Eastbourne promoter Jon Cook consider keeping him for longer or to attract another Elite League club.

Woodward, whose arrival was delayed after his work permit was called in for a random check, said: "The last two weeks have been the longest of my life.

"I'm just glad to be here now and it looks like the weather has warmed up for me.

"I'm an apprentice plumber back home but I'd rather be here riding a bike.

"I've got to do my best to prove I'm worth a team spot, although I know Brent is due back soon.

"The meetings had finished back in Oz but I've been doing some training school and riding over at the salt lakes near us."

Woodward has also been in touch with the media, leading to a so-called 'Cam And Get Me' appeal in the speedway press recently.

He was left out by Edinburgh in the run-up to this season, by which time just about every other club had complete line-ups.

Cook rated him the best rider not to make the Premier League this summer.

Within a week of his appeal, Werner had gone flying at Arlington and Cook was looking for a new reserve.

Eagles fans know Woodward from last season, when he rode as a guest for them at Ipswich and Poole.

But home fans get their first glimpse of him tonight. And the feeling will be mutual.

He said: "I had two meetings for Eastbourne last year. Poole went well, Ipswich didn't.

"But I've got no experience of the Eastbourne track itself.

"I've seen the track once but I've watched it about 20 times on TV and it looks pretty tight, although not much tighter than Edinburgh.

"I had two years at Edinburgh and that went pretty well, although I still wouldn't claim to be a short-track expert."

Cook will be interested to see how Woodward fares and has admitted he hopes to be given a selection dilemma when Werner reports back for action.

The Eagles chief reckons, if he does not make the cut, Woodward could be farmed out to a Premier League outfit. But the rider himself is not so keen on that idea.

He said: "I'm really interested to see how I go in the Elite League.

"If I go around all right I want to stick in the Elite League. You learn so much more there, there's so much more opposition. Maybe I would have to find another Elite League team."

Woodward left bikes in Buxton over the winter and was getting them ready this weekend, hopefully with the help of a second-half run out at the Conference League track.

Nicki Pedersen, meanwhile, was easing into action in the more demanding world of the GP circuit.

Pedersen and Woodward return tonight to an Eagles team who have lost their last three matches and provided the winning rider in just two of their last 31 heats.

Tonight's meeting is followed by a visit from Ipswich next Saturday and Cook said: "The next couple of home matches are extremely big for us."

Pedersen, won four of his five heats in Poland but lifted on turn two of the final, which was won by Australian Jason Crump.