Whitehaven RL
Recreation Ground
Coach Rd
Whitehaven
Tel 01946 692915
Fax 01946 695805 |
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To contact Club officials please
email to: info@whitehavenrl.co.uk
Travel for away fixtures contact Steve
Shepherd Tel. 07740867495.
Lottery draw
Help the club and join the club's
lottery draw...WRLC are keen to welcome new members for the Club lottery,please
ring the office 9am to 2 pm Monday to Fridays or 1.30 to 2.45pm on home
match days. Tel 01946 692915
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Poaching
Rhinos?
Gordon
Cottier gives his views on the game ...beware he sometimes speaks his
mind, if you think might be offended Look away now! And if you disagree
send us an email and
we will pass it on to Gordon.
August
4 2009
Well rugby followers we are getting to the end of season cup final and
play offs. l would like to start with 2nd tier cup final. Barrow v Widnes
apart from my marra, Mr. Gareth Hewer not having one of his better games.
Can someone from R L explain how Widnes can field 2 players on loan and
Barrow couldn't play theirs. It goes back to last season's R L cup final
where one player had to play for a team that was knocked and still played
in the final for another. Could the R L please just have 1 set of rules
so that the paying punters will know what's going on. On my visits to
the Rec and watching on T V it 's a different game.
Back
to the play offs and relegation or lack of. While watching Wakefield v
Leeds, Wakefield were leading well and were awarded 2 very kickable penalties,
turned both down then got beaten by 2 points. If we still had promotion
and relegation l am sure they would have kicked 1 of them because a point
might keep you up at the end of season. Also the Wakefield players do
not obliviously play for winning money as we know by Danny Sculthores
wages. Last morn after watching Saints v Wigan last Friday at Kells R
L, the R L must do something about this aimless kick the ball dead idea.
Maybe an R U rule could be used ...think about it . Now on to my team,
Whitehaven are we coming good at the right time, l hope so. Or is the
coach now starting to pick his best team and not his best mates. Let's
hope he gets it right at Halifax then on to the play offs. Remember last
season. We want another good run and go all the way. When you look at
last season's winning teams haven't they done well in 1st division. Only
joking. After being at Salford a couple of weeks ago they and Castleford
did not play much football. very drab. We the Haven supporters and may
l say, shareholders, still do not know how much the club received for
Mr McNally or Mr Amor. Well that's about it. oh nearly forgot well done
Gary Charlton and Martin Oglandby local lads,
July 2009
Well I got down to see us beat leigh, well done lads. Another poor gate.1300
people.
Sorry die hards but not enough for super league, so please let's get down
to the Rec.
l' m still not convinced about summer rugby. Anyway back to the game,
great to see wingers scoring tries. forwards doing forwards work. A very
good day at the office for Scott Mcavoy and Kyle Amor two Hensingham lads...
l still think we could use Craig Mcavoy also. Also great to see someone
has found out about Mark Jackson kicking skills after how many years!
Our use of the subs was once again to be questioned.
l 'm tryng with great difficulty to move into the 21st century not only
with rugby but with the internet. l was reading the Haven website about
players who have turned out for Barrow Town and Haven. to my amazement
nobody mentioned my personal hero Harry Hughes Haven 's best centre to
sign as a junior until Vince the Prince Gribbon. Then there was 1 of 3
brothers to play at Haven; Harold Mc court. Brothers being Steven and
the later Charlie. another omission was of course 'tough as teak' Kells
lad John spanky Mc farlane. I hope spanky is recovering from his recent
op.
The next man was another pound for pound tough guy, Dennis stonewall Jackson.
Well now on to my next question and l hope Ralph Calvin is not taken in
by Leeds r l f c. We all know you can not trust people who go from poacher
to gamekeeper, so let's keep our minds on Haven and not empty promises.
Please if Kyle Amor decides to leave do the board think the supporters
should know the fee. Not like the case of Gregg Mc nally.
Just to finish l personlly had two great nights out, 1st at Sol Roper
and Harry Archer induction to the Town hall of fame. The 2nd at Kells
vice president night where Paul Sculthorpe gave a brief talk about his
life and career... fab.
Thats about it. all the best to Barrow for the weekend and of course Mr.
Hewer from whitehaven, the match referee.
June
2009
Well sorry for the delay, but we seem to be carrying on where I left off.
Winning at home and losing away. So what's changed in
61 years? Not much, with all respect to all involved.
The plus signs are the good Improvements from Kyle Amor (could we see
if we can get him running two or three out, think of the damage he could
inflict.)
Scotty McAvoy , Gregg McNally Craig Benson (until injured) are all going
on well..
I was down to see the Donny game. We played well in parts. The winger
we got from Celtic was impressive and knew where the line was. I was lucky
enough to be at the new Leigh ground a couple of weeks ago, what a fabulous
ground, pity about the attendance, 851. Yet we read in the media about
RL improving gates, rubbish!
I was reading an RL magazine last week and it was telling you that in
the 1960 season Oldham played six games in August with 90,000 people watching.
Our top teams are lucky to get that for an entire season.
Why can't the powers that be, which run our game, understand what people
want to see; no forward passes, if you are in front of the kicker you
are offside and proper play the ball. Oh and please let's have something
that resembles a scrum. Being a follower of most sports all my life (except
cricket, tennis and golf) my argument on RL rules is this. In watching
and playing football the only recent rule change I know is your team cannot
pass back to your keeper to pick up. We in RL change a number of rules
every season.
The last one was in the RL Cup where Cas and Halifax drew no replay. Golden
Point...thus denying Halifax a home gate. Last season one player played
for a team that was knocked out of the Cup and played for another team
that went to Wembley.
This type of behaviour would not happen in any other sport. So let's remember
what the Americans say 'Let's not fix it until its broke.'
I know that people will say, like all sports you need money to survive.
Yes I agree, but not to the detriment of our game.
British RL is a working man's game. The cloth cap and whippet miners and
labourers may have disappeared, but in their time the game was a more
level playing field.
Sorry for getting on my soap box, but we have lost the plot.
Talking to an old friend of mine from many years ago, John Mean, a grade
one referee (A Kells lad from home). He like me is disappointed about
the state of our once great game.
His words were if we the public know what's wrong, what are the powers
in control doing?
Well that's about it, so until next time, remember get down to the Recre.
You Town supporters get to Derwent Park because as my Mam used to say;
"You never miss the water until the well runs dry." On Town,
congratulations to Sol Roper and Harry Archer on being inducted into the
Town Hall of Fame. Have a great night, both of you.
May 2009
Well it almost looked as if the train was well
and truly off the track before Thursday's superb showing against Widnes.
We had had two defeats at Fethaerstone and Toulouse. The French one first,
No I did not travel!
But our coach took his usual en tourage...When I see all these backroom
people I always think of one of the world's greatest sportsmen, Cassius
Marcelus Clay (Muhammed Ali for our younger readers) I wonder where all
his hangers-on went when you see the great man now. I did have my usual
old team mate James Burns at the game and he tells me we crossed the French
line eleven times, but the ref did not agree. I only heard abouit my neighbour
Spencer Miller who dived over the dead ball line and the ref decided No
Try.
James, who
always sees the Haven point of view, said the ref was poor and even admitted
it when talking to James after the game, saying it was his first first
division game and it was a lot quicker thgan the second division. I will
stick with the referee theme as I went down to see the A team on Saturday.
The referee was weight-challenged and applied his own set of rules. On
the A team there were a lot of young lads with not a lot of enthusiasm,
two first teams if you like Patrick and Tunstall. I would have thought
these two would have helped and made a difference, but sadly not on this
occasion. We did win the game with Tyroner Dalton to the fore and Bob
Jongs scoring a try. In the Barrow team was anopther name from the production
area of Millom, another Mossop who was quite impressive to me.
Well
back to the Featherstone game. As that well known pundit would say, a
game of two halves. Everyone was on about Iestyn Harris, but the man who
caught my eye was the No 7. We must be more flexible and aggressive with
our forwards being forward and wingers being wingers.
Forwards
win games when they get on top, the best backs in the world will never
win much without the forwards..of course it's the same old question,,where
have all the big lads gone.(This was written before Amor and Edmondsons's
showing against Widnes)
To
finish, the coaching merry go round continues..Steve McCormack has gone
to Gatesherad his sixth club in as many years...dare we say the less successful
you are, the more you are in demand.!
April
17 2009
Well Easter has been and gone. Both Town and Haven beaten on both outings.
I traveled to Barrow on Good Friday with my neighbour Mike Walker (a County
pool Player) hoping for Haven to carry on where they had left off. Not
the story sadly.
Barrow seemed to have recruited well in the close season. They have a
big pack of forwards (including Brett McDermot, ex Town and Haven) He
could still do a good job for Haven in my opinion.
Haven's young guns did well Amor and Mattinson to the fore and Gorski
had a good first half, but the second half well not so sure. Barrow were
leading by only six points and had the cheek to turn down a kick in front
of the posts to put the game to bed...that's confidence for you. Haven's
only second half score was by Gregg McNally.
We need some big mobile forwards or workhorses as they were known those
in place need to work harder because our big men seem to tire very quickly.
Dare we suggest maybe not fit enough?
This thing we do at Haven of having both wingers and full back taking
it away from our own line as dummy half or first receiver is crazy. We
just get battered and make no ground. I have spoken to a Haven player
about this and he said its the coach's game plan.
Well come on Ged we have two of the fastest wingers in division one, let's
use them for scoring tries!
To finish on the Barrow game, once again we have missed the boat as regards
local talent when Mossop joins Barrow on loan from Wigan...did we try
to get him?
Then to Easter Monday, well done and dusted by half-time. Once again from
Halifax big pack of forwards right down
the middle with support ...basic RL. Thank God for Gregg McNally. Also
from both games I think we could need a good centre. Which brings me back
to the other Mossop at Town. Here is an ex-Town player who in my opinion
could do a very good job. Well just to finish once again..the RFL is at
it again..No! No! No!
not a rule change this time but trying to improve our game to compete
with the other hemisphere. Well as I recall after our thrashing by Australia
in 1982 it was all back to square one. All coaches had to be qualified
to take any team. But if you dropped out of the system your qualification
went with you. There are many old players out there with something to
give back to our great game but red tape stops them. But now we are going
to change the system again!
This is only my opinion but most RL people know what is wrong. Firstly
Mr Murdoch and secondly too many overseas players who are no better than
our own. Just look at Wigan and their overseas players, Paleaaesina the
big Number 10 and others. And the other Wigan players playing at other
clubs, Robinson at Salford , Wild, Bristoe etc. Wigan must be kicking
themselves.
Well that's about it..but please get down and support our local teams
before its too late.
March
2009...Alan
Burns responds to Cott's comments(see below)
Well the RL Cup has come and gone as far as our professional clubs are
concerned. Whitehaven were disappointing going down to a newly promoted
team from the third tier. Listening in to the commentary and seeing the
previous games we are still without a leader on the field and one wonders
about off the field as well. Team selection leaves a lot to be desired
at times.
What can we say about Town? My own thoughts are they do not seem to go
the distance, twice against Haven and then against Featherstone faded
badly. So come on Ged and Dave, give the fans something to cheer about
before it's too late.
Fantastic Wath Brow Hornets. What a second half performance! Well done
Captain Gary Elliot (Who's dad John played for the Haven). Just before
half-time, a penalty right in front of the posts, the Brow with a roll
on. Gary consults the referee, time almost up and Gary points to the posts…two
points, which turned out to win the game.
You just have to give mentions also to Flapper Teare who was brilliant
in the second half (How Haven can let this man go is beyond me on this
performance)
He was ably abetted by Dave Currie, David Petit 'Big Coxy' Micky Mac Big
Phil and 'Kevan' Great to see familiar names back in Brow colours, Amor,
Johnstone and King. Well done everyone, sorry if I missed you out. Just
a pity Brow has to go to Post Office Road, a daunting place but all the
very best.
Now to Kells. Once again the RL have moved the goal posts suit. The
postponed Kells fixture. Kells secretary Les Fox wants the game played
on Friday night (great idea!) The RL respond by saying that they do not
want a semi-pro team travelling mid week. Les points out Haven travelled
to York mid week. Touché!
No response from RL.
Once again two sets of rules. Les suggested playing on the Copeland Athletics
stadium if the Recre was unfit, but RL says No, yet Hunslet ground is
very similar with a running track round it.
The RL by laws used to say that if you do not have a job you could not
get paid; as payments were for broken time. I don't want to go back over
old ground, but come on lets play RL to one set of rules. As has been
mentioned in the past the Cup is an RL competition, nothing to do with
Mr Murdoch's game on Sky.
Last but not least, once again I saw a decision last week where the ref
penalised a team for striking for the ball at scrum…surely this was
wrong. If not why are we having scrums, or is this another Murdoch/Stevenson
rule as is the momentum rule which nobody seems to know what it is.?
Well if Haven or Town decide to change coaches may I suggest Mr Stevenson
or Mr Clarke, because they seem to know what teams need to win. Well catch
you later and lets all get down to the Recre and Derwent Park before its
too late!
Feb
2009: Well the season is off and running. Already there are talking points
from the games I have seen, some questions to be asked and we will await
your answers.
Firstly I have seen Haven three times this term. One question must be
answered do the people of Whitehaven want rugby league at Whitehaven?
Haven versus Town derby game 1,000 attended, Haven v Bradford, one of
the top teams in the country and only 1,800 attendance...very very poor
would it have been same if Workington Reds played Arsenal or Chelsea?
I think not. . Haven versus Batley, first game of the new season again
only 1,100 attendance. Come on let's start getting down to support the
lads!
Another issue brought to my attention after the Batley game was the amount
of foul language used by the Batley players. As a former Hensingham player
pointed out to me, if a spectator was using foul language he or she would
be asked to leave. Still at Haven I had to smile at our coaches comment
about playing three games in eight days and comparing Haven and Manchester
United. Come on Ged get in the real world. Playing is better than training
and you get paid for playing as well.
Staying local, well done to Kells and Wath Brow and I hope you are pleased
with your draws in the cup; Kells v Hunslet at home and Wath Brow v London
Scholars at home.
Another game I had the pleasure to watch on dvd at the weekend was St
Helens and Warrington..talk about a game of two halves. A point I picked
up was the quick 20 metre tap that Lee Briers tried. Once again the rules
have grey areas as pointed out by Phil Clarke. If the ball is played properly
as per rules, the ball going through the mark, no problem. But we are
in so much of a hurry, we forget about the basics. Mr Clarke pointed out
that last season one team had three goes to restart the game.
In the 'bad old days' a mistake like not restarting the game properly
resulted in a scrum (when scrums were scrums) and maybe a loss of advantage.
So once again the lad from Kells, the referees' number one man, Stuart
Cummins must sort the problem out for the spectators as well as the players.
I have also noticed we don't feed the scrums as was directed last season.
The half back was to feed the scrum with both hands.
Well that's about it for a while but I will be pleased to hear your thoughts.
And don't forget rugby league supporters, get down to backing your club
whether it be Haven or Town..because if the current trend continues they
will both be going.
Alan
Burns responds to Cott's comments above...Reading Cotts Jibes about rules
of Rugby League which I wholeheartedly agree with.I would like to go a
step further and state that Murdochs Morons contribute to a Cartel to
which a Rugby League club cannot join on Merit alone (Promotion) but has
to be invited. We now have clubs steeped in history who will never again
play Top Flight Rugby. Barrow Featherstone Leigh Hunslet and of course
our friends ?? up the road "Town"spring to mind( By the way
they only put Town on the back of their jerseys cos they cant spell WUKKINTON...only
joking ). I agree that the Challenge cup should be taken away from Superleague
and the final played at say Boltons Reebok Stadium ( Capacity 25000) or
( And I know this is close to your Heart Cotts!!) BLOOMFIELD ROAD. Maybe
its time for the lower leagues to break away and forget Superleague.The
teams could then return to 2 Subs on the bench with unlimited interchanges.
This would be a great help to the finances.Also lets return to 1 Marker
at the play the ball as the rucks are a disgrace. Finally lets cut out
all the Foul Language both on and off the Pitch. (Am I being an old Grump?)
as it is getting beyond a Joke, and I am far from being a Prude, before
our great game degenerates into that which is normal practice for the
participants of that other shaped ball.
Yours in Sport
A Fellow Ex Kells Lad and Super Saints Supporter
January
2009; Another season dawns on us and no new rules!
Well not in this country any way. Our RL friends in Aussie land are going
to have two refs. One doing the play the ball and the other the ten yards
(or is it metres?)
So it is only a matter of time before we will follow suit. Goodness knows
where we will get the officals from, because for the last few years the
standard of refereeing has been terrible. So come on Stuart Cummins let's
have one set of rules and consistency please?
Talking about Aussie didn't we do well in the World Cup? Only joking...
I think the Powers that Be should be listening to the people like Alexander
J Murphy and Ricky Stuart. We will never compete with the Aussies and
New Zealand until we put our house in order. Remember 1954. It took the
Aussie a good 15 to 20 years to get their house in order.
When teams like Wigan (who do not have a Mr Lindsay adjusting the rules
for them) start assisting players to change their nation to allow another
Aussie to come in, one wonders where our game is going. I think Jackie
Charlton had a lot to answer for, Jack picked players for Ireland whose
great-grandmother was Irish or as Ray Wilkins ex-Town and Haven stand
off once said You only needed two Corgis or have spend a weekend in Llandudno
to play for Wales.
With interest I read two good articles in the press, one by Ray French
about How you could not compare players of different eras. But skill is
still skill and the cream will always come to the top.
The other article was by a poacher turned gamekeeper, Gary Hetherington
of Leeds. Gary must think that people do not remember him. Gary's teams
included York, Huddersfield, Leeds Hunslett and a french team, and of
course Sheffield. If I have forgotten any treams, apologies to Gary and
Kath , his wife.
Turning homewards lets hope Haven have a great season as well as Town
and Barrow.
After seeing Haven twice this season I still think we need a leader on
the field and a please, please a stand on the Popular side!
Can we please get Aaron Lester back to lead us! Meanwhile I hope our new
Aussie Lock from the Emu Plains does well along with the other new signings.
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us.
Lottery draw
Help the club and join the club's
lottery draw...WRLC are keen to welcome new members for the Club lottery,please
ring the office 9am to 2 pm Monday to Fridays or 1.30 to 2.45pm on home
match days.
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