To say things are rocky in the Haven camp at the moment is putting it mildly. The fact of been knocked out of the two cup competitions at the first hurdle, a seemingly paper thin squad in terms of quality, accompanied with the signings of the Workington quartet and the struggle to sign overseas players has let a depressing feeling take hold of a number of Haven fans. That's not to mention Ged's outburst in his after match interview against Gateshead which left many fans incensed and calling for his head.
Crashing out of the Northern Rail Cup was a bitter blow and actually does mean more than some fans realise. If, and it is a big if, our new BOD are to be believed when they say we have Super League aspirations, then it is imperative that we make a Championship Grand Final or win the Northern Rail Cup in the next 3 years. With the latter now out of the question for this year, it makes it that little bit harder. It might be a narrow way to look at things, but it is one opportunity missed.
As I mentioned in my post last week, losing at Gateshead was very disappointing indeed. I always thought the players would make up for it on Sunday though in the first Championship game, and they didn't disappoint as far as the scoreline went. However I mentioned last week that Ged took some flack at Gateshead, and going by his comments in his after match interview on Sunday, he wasn't best pleased.
Whilst not at the Recre for the game on Sunday, I do know exactly what was said due to reports both from friends and the press. To repeat the expletives that were directed at him at Gateshead in the club where children were present is inexcusable. Some people on the forum have said it's no worse than what is said on the terraces and they are correct. However, as a person who is the figurehead for the club, professionalism should be paramount and he should not have stooped to the same level as the person who abused him at Gateshead.
What annoyed me personally were his comments that were documented on the Whitehaven News website on Monday. For starters, it's clear he is very defensive and not very apologetic with his comments. However what I found most annoying were his comments on players being abused personally on websites and that the focus needs to be on driving these people out of the club. As the owner and one of the Administrators of the HavenFans forum, the largest Whitehaven RLFC forum, I can say that abusing players personally is not tolerated. In fact, abusing anyone on the forum isn't tolerated! Whether they be a player, coach, BOD member, club official or just another member on the forum. A number of people have had their membership terminated because they broke this rule and this will continue if people abuse this rule.
What is tolerated is critical discussion on players/coaches performances and their impact on the team. As fans, we have the right to share our thoughts on the team and the playing staff. Providing these comments are not abusive or libellous then they are allowed to run their course on the forum. Perhaps it might be better for a coach not to read internet forums as there are bound to be items on them which will criticise certain aspects of the team? What I will say though is that it's sometimes hard to control people at a match shouting abuse, but you can easily on an internet forum as it is all written down. I provide the fans with the platform to communicate with each other and along with a team of moderators, try to keep things abusive free. My message to Ged is simple, if you have a problem with abusive messages on the forum, come to me direct and discuss it. A lot of people know who I am and I certainly do not hide behind a name on the forum. What is not appreciated is when a coach brands critical discussion as personal abuse in the press.
Enough of that rant though as I think Ged has really got to get things together on the field or I fear for his future. Let's face it, he has made plenty of mistakes so far. The 4 signings from Workington, sending a weakened side to York, leaving Dexter Miller bench warming for 74 minutes at Gateshead and the comments in the after match speech on Sunday are hardly positive points. However, all of this could well be swept to one side if he can get this team to gel and play some good rugby. I personally believe that Ged is a good rugby coach, a very good one. The players think very highly of him and many have said he is the best coach they have played under. He is letting himself down badly in other off the field areas though but as long as he gets the results on the field, then it wont matter.
Whilst I'm still sat on the fence over the future of Ged, the majority of fans fall well either side. Some say they wont go to another game until he's gone, others think he is still the saviour. One thing I do know is there is a definite divide between the fans on this issue and others at the club. After speaking with Steve McCormack the other day, one thing he pointed out was during the 'glory years' everyone was pulling together. Players, coaches, directors, fans, sponsors etc... we were all together and united. We are far from united at the moment which is extremely worrying. Crowds are dwindling, confidence in the team is low and Ged is becoming very defensive. If we are going to move forward then we as fans need to find a way to unite.
I don't know what the answers are, but it is clear that major changes need to happen soon otherwise we could find ourselves slipping at a rapid rate.
On a much more positive note, I hear that Karl Long had an excellent debut and we could we be looking to offer him a permanent deal if his form continues. Also the new general manager Nigel Beaty has impressed me greatly and we have exchanged many emails and phone calls already. He seems to want to use the website as a tool to communicate with the fans and also is passionate about taking the club forward. A breath of fresh air if you ask me.
To tie it all together, Ged needs to concentrate what he is best at which is purely rugby coaching. If he does that and we manage to stay lucky on the injury side of things then I am cautiously optimistic about the season.
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Monday, 9 March 2009
Now is the time
Some of you may have noticed the lack of posts over the past few weeks, there is a reason. Instead of coming on shouting all guns blazing, I thought I'd wait until the cup competitions were over to see how we looked. Now we are out of both the Northern Rail Cup and the Challenge Cup, something that not many people expected at the start of the season, I think we can start to see how our season it going to shape up.
The main point that has stood out to me over the past few games is the lack of discipline the side has. Daft penalties are been given away left, right and centre, it just isn't acceptable. I know many fans have said that the ref has been bad, but how many weeks can we use that excuse for? We need to make sure we are well drilled and play as close to the rules as possible. We must make sure we don't give the referee any opportunity to penalise us.
Another point that is worrying is our defence seems to be leaky to say the least. I don't seem to remember us conceded so many soft tries in recent seasons gone by. For example, yesterday Andrew Henderson for Gateshead was allowed to scoot over for two very easy tries from the play of the ball. Our defence just wasn't awake at all. Also the effort and commitment on display by some players in defence leaves a lot to be desired.
Going forward I'm not as concerned. Yes we look a little bit clueless at the line at times, but we've scored a total of 60 points against two Championship sides which is certainly acceptable. McNally is chipping in well so far and Theoharous looked extremely impressive in the first 20 minutes yesterday. Attack is slightly worrying at times, but if I was Ged, then I would be concentrating on our defensive effort.
Speaking to a couple of Thunder fans after the game and they expect a backlash against them in the first league game next week. I have a feeling they could well be right, maybe it's a hopeful feeling! If I were the coach, then I would want us to keep Gateshead to under 10 points and put in 80 minutes of solid hard work. Hard work and defence wins games in this league. We certainly have enough fire power to score tries in attack, but we need to get back to the, dare I say it, Steve Mack days of mean defence. So if I were Ged, it would be tackle bags and more tackle bags in training!
On the subject of Ged, he seemed to get a fair bit of flack yesterday, some I would say is justified. Whilst I'm still not 100% convinced about him as the guy to really take us forward long term, I still have faith in his coaching ability. What I am very concerned about is the signings he has brought to the club. Anyone who was at the Gateshead game will have witness what was a shocking, reckless high tackle by Lavulavu in the last second of the game that sparked a mass brawl between both sets of players. He was rightly shown red for it and had quite a bit of anger directed at him by the Haven fans as he walked down the tunnel.
To put it quite simply, the guy is NOT Championship class. Yes he might be trying to make it, maybe trying too hard, but he is giving multiple silly penalties away in a game and we can't afford that. The tackle on the Gateshead lad was awful and he deserves a lengthy ban from the RFL. I for one do not want to see that kind of thuggery on show, especially when the game was effectively over. I certainly do not want to see him in a Haven shirt again.
Another gripe about yesterday was Dexter Miller sat warming up the bench for 74 minutes of the match. Why bring him over to Gateshead to only throw him on with 6 minutes left? Dexter is a big unit and hasn't looked too out of place when he's played so far. Lavulavu was obviously out of gas way before the 74th minute so why not throw Dexter on then?
I haven't got all the answers, I simply observe what's going on. To summarise, we aren't too far off but we need to clear out the dead weight and concentrate on our defence. I still have faith in Ged's coaching ability and feel that as long as we don't have a massive string of losses, he should be given the full season to see what he can do.
In relation to the topic title, now is the time that the club/coach need to come out and lay it all out to the fans. The HavenFans forum is like a war zone at the moment with plenty of emotion flying around. Perhaps the launch night on Thursday will provide us all some answers...we live in hope.
The main point that has stood out to me over the past few games is the lack of discipline the side has. Daft penalties are been given away left, right and centre, it just isn't acceptable. I know many fans have said that the ref has been bad, but how many weeks can we use that excuse for? We need to make sure we are well drilled and play as close to the rules as possible. We must make sure we don't give the referee any opportunity to penalise us.
Another point that is worrying is our defence seems to be leaky to say the least. I don't seem to remember us conceded so many soft tries in recent seasons gone by. For example, yesterday Andrew Henderson for Gateshead was allowed to scoot over for two very easy tries from the play of the ball. Our defence just wasn't awake at all. Also the effort and commitment on display by some players in defence leaves a lot to be desired.
Going forward I'm not as concerned. Yes we look a little bit clueless at the line at times, but we've scored a total of 60 points against two Championship sides which is certainly acceptable. McNally is chipping in well so far and Theoharous looked extremely impressive in the first 20 minutes yesterday. Attack is slightly worrying at times, but if I was Ged, then I would be concentrating on our defensive effort.
Speaking to a couple of Thunder fans after the game and they expect a backlash against them in the first league game next week. I have a feeling they could well be right, maybe it's a hopeful feeling! If I were the coach, then I would want us to keep Gateshead to under 10 points and put in 80 minutes of solid hard work. Hard work and defence wins games in this league. We certainly have enough fire power to score tries in attack, but we need to get back to the, dare I say it, Steve Mack days of mean defence. So if I were Ged, it would be tackle bags and more tackle bags in training!
On the subject of Ged, he seemed to get a fair bit of flack yesterday, some I would say is justified. Whilst I'm still not 100% convinced about him as the guy to really take us forward long term, I still have faith in his coaching ability. What I am very concerned about is the signings he has brought to the club. Anyone who was at the Gateshead game will have witness what was a shocking, reckless high tackle by Lavulavu in the last second of the game that sparked a mass brawl between both sets of players. He was rightly shown red for it and had quite a bit of anger directed at him by the Haven fans as he walked down the tunnel.
To put it quite simply, the guy is NOT Championship class. Yes he might be trying to make it, maybe trying too hard, but he is giving multiple silly penalties away in a game and we can't afford that. The tackle on the Gateshead lad was awful and he deserves a lengthy ban from the RFL. I for one do not want to see that kind of thuggery on show, especially when the game was effectively over. I certainly do not want to see him in a Haven shirt again.
Another gripe about yesterday was Dexter Miller sat warming up the bench for 74 minutes of the match. Why bring him over to Gateshead to only throw him on with 6 minutes left? Dexter is a big unit and hasn't looked too out of place when he's played so far. Lavulavu was obviously out of gas way before the 74th minute so why not throw Dexter on then?
I haven't got all the answers, I simply observe what's going on. To summarise, we aren't too far off but we need to clear out the dead weight and concentrate on our defence. I still have faith in Ged's coaching ability and feel that as long as we don't have a massive string of losses, he should be given the full season to see what he can do.
In relation to the topic title, now is the time that the club/coach need to come out and lay it all out to the fans. The HavenFans forum is like a war zone at the moment with plenty of emotion flying around. Perhaps the launch night on Thursday will provide us all some answers...we live in hope.
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Extremely disappointed and annoyed
I decided not to make the trip up to York for tonight's game and I certainly am glad I didn't. I listened to the match on the radio and it sounded like sending lambs to the slaughter. 10 changes to the side that beat Batley on Sunday and it really seemed to tell.
Losing 36-6 to anyone isn't pretty, but to a Championship 1 side makes it even harder to take. I'm sure York played well and fully deserved the win, but to literally crash and burn to a defeat with such a youthful side has not done us any good at all.
Firstly for the club and the 3 points that have now disappeared. Before I get shouted down here, I didn't expect us to walk this game if we had sent a full side down there, however we would have had a much better chance of walking away with the 3 points.
Then there is the youngsters that turned out and played. They won't have taken anything positive from the game and I'm sure it will be a knock to their confidence. This is not what the youngsters need. Listening to Dave Woods on the radio afterwards, I totally agreed with his approach to the youngsters. We should be looking to play 1 or 2 in a game, not turn up with 7 or 8 away from home.
The we look at the mathematics. York beat Workington comfortably at the weekend at Derwent Park. So taking things on face value, it would appear York would be the tougher game than the derby match against Workington on Sunday. So certainly the logical thing to do would be to put out a strong side against York in the hope we can pick up 3 points and then field a 'weakened' team against Workington.
I know Ged was frustrated at the RFL for making us play the game tonight resulting in 3 games in 8 days, but York are in the same scenario. In fact, so are Leigh, Featherstone, Batley, Doncaster, Oldham and Rochdale! Another argument was that many of the first team players were actually working today and couldn't get the time off to play tonight. I would be extremely keen to see how many of the players this applies to.
Even if we do rack up a cricket score against Town at the weekend, to me it will be somewhat of a hollow victory. We need to be fielding our strongest side week in week out. We haven't got the depth in the squad to have the rotation luxury and get away with it. I think Ged was more hoping we would win tonight with the side he put out rather than actually believing we would win.
The people who know me know that I'm not one to come out and shout someone down without good reason. But I honestly feel like this is a big mistake and it needs rectifying quickly. If this is how we are going to treat games then I am extremely worried about the season ahead. This isn't about the defeat to York, this is about the attitude of the team selection and the logic behind it, it's just flawed.
One thing that didn't help was when questioned on the radio by Coxy, Ged said that in hindsight he would still probably have brought the same side down with him. It is clear he has made a mistake and virtually every other Whitehaven fan can see that, so why can't Ged? We have made it difficult for ourselves to qualify for the latter stages of the Northern Rail Cup and I hope that this mistake firstly doesn't prevent us from making the cut, and secondly isn't a sign of what is to come this season.
On a side note, Stevie Mack is now out of work after been sacked by Widnes.
Losing 36-6 to anyone isn't pretty, but to a Championship 1 side makes it even harder to take. I'm sure York played well and fully deserved the win, but to literally crash and burn to a defeat with such a youthful side has not done us any good at all.
Firstly for the club and the 3 points that have now disappeared. Before I get shouted down here, I didn't expect us to walk this game if we had sent a full side down there, however we would have had a much better chance of walking away with the 3 points.
Then there is the youngsters that turned out and played. They won't have taken anything positive from the game and I'm sure it will be a knock to their confidence. This is not what the youngsters need. Listening to Dave Woods on the radio afterwards, I totally agreed with his approach to the youngsters. We should be looking to play 1 or 2 in a game, not turn up with 7 or 8 away from home.
The we look at the mathematics. York beat Workington comfortably at the weekend at Derwent Park. So taking things on face value, it would appear York would be the tougher game than the derby match against Workington on Sunday. So certainly the logical thing to do would be to put out a strong side against York in the hope we can pick up 3 points and then field a 'weakened' team against Workington.
I know Ged was frustrated at the RFL for making us play the game tonight resulting in 3 games in 8 days, but York are in the same scenario. In fact, so are Leigh, Featherstone, Batley, Doncaster, Oldham and Rochdale! Another argument was that many of the first team players were actually working today and couldn't get the time off to play tonight. I would be extremely keen to see how many of the players this applies to.
Even if we do rack up a cricket score against Town at the weekend, to me it will be somewhat of a hollow victory. We need to be fielding our strongest side week in week out. We haven't got the depth in the squad to have the rotation luxury and get away with it. I think Ged was more hoping we would win tonight with the side he put out rather than actually believing we would win.
The people who know me know that I'm not one to come out and shout someone down without good reason. But I honestly feel like this is a big mistake and it needs rectifying quickly. If this is how we are going to treat games then I am extremely worried about the season ahead. This isn't about the defeat to York, this is about the attitude of the team selection and the logic behind it, it's just flawed.
One thing that didn't help was when questioned on the radio by Coxy, Ged said that in hindsight he would still probably have brought the same side down with him. It is clear he has made a mistake and virtually every other Whitehaven fan can see that, so why can't Ged? We have made it difficult for ourselves to qualify for the latter stages of the Northern Rail Cup and I hope that this mistake firstly doesn't prevent us from making the cut, and secondly isn't a sign of what is to come this season.
On a side note, Stevie Mack is now out of work after been sacked by Widnes.
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Off and Rolling!
An 82 point opening match against Batley wasn't exactly what everyone expected but the 52-30 win will go down as a good victory none the less. I have to say I'm happy with the 52, but to concede 30 at home to a team which isn't known for having the best attacking force in the league is slightly worrying.
Despite not been present, I heard fantastic reports about Andy Gorski which is great to hear. I've always liked him really, seems to play hard and always give 100%. A good hard running second rower is just what we need at the moment, especially with big Howard Hill still missing.
New lad Jamie Theoharous also was reported to have had a good game and I am looking forward to watching the young Aussie play. I hope he copes with the pressure of the fans expectations though as he has been billed by some as the next Sam Obst. It's a tough act to follow but from what I've heard, the signs seem good. (I feel like a fraud by posting second hand information!)
Tomorrow night we play York and it seems Ged is really mixing the side up. I personally am not sure if sending a youthful side to Yorkshire is the right thing to do. You have to remember that York beat Town comfortably at the weekend so surely the tomorrows match will be the tougher game?
However it seems Ged wants to field a strong side against Town at the weekend and play a 'weakened' side against York. We will find out whether the gamble pays off in about 24 hours time, but I personally am not convinced.
Onto the Challenge Cup draw and a tough away tie at Gateshead is not what I expected. I would have much preferred a home tie against an amateur side to give us a better chance of being in the hat for the 4th round. However it certainly will be a good test for the boys against Thunder, a club that I have become quite closely connected to over the past 12 months.
So a pretty solid start so far. An unfortunate re-arranged mid-week game will give us a chance to see some new faces in the side and a tough trip to Gateshead in the Challenge Cup will certainly keep us on our toes.
Despite not been present, I heard fantastic reports about Andy Gorski which is great to hear. I've always liked him really, seems to play hard and always give 100%. A good hard running second rower is just what we need at the moment, especially with big Howard Hill still missing.
New lad Jamie Theoharous also was reported to have had a good game and I am looking forward to watching the young Aussie play. I hope he copes with the pressure of the fans expectations though as he has been billed by some as the next Sam Obst. It's a tough act to follow but from what I've heard, the signs seem good. (I feel like a fraud by posting second hand information!)
Tomorrow night we play York and it seems Ged is really mixing the side up. I personally am not sure if sending a youthful side to Yorkshire is the right thing to do. You have to remember that York beat Town comfortably at the weekend so surely the tomorrows match will be the tougher game?
However it seems Ged wants to field a strong side against Town at the weekend and play a 'weakened' side against York. We will find out whether the gamble pays off in about 24 hours time, but I personally am not convinced.
Onto the Challenge Cup draw and a tough away tie at Gateshead is not what I expected. I would have much preferred a home tie against an amateur side to give us a better chance of being in the hat for the 4th round. However it certainly will be a good test for the boys against Thunder, a club that I have become quite closely connected to over the past 12 months.
So a pretty solid start so far. An unfortunate re-arranged mid-week game will give us a chance to see some new faces in the side and a tough trip to Gateshead in the Challenge Cup will certainly keep us on our toes.
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Interview with McNally
I'd like to thank Gregg for taking time out to answer the following questions:
You made your debut for Huddersfield against Halifax. How did you find the game and was what it like to score your first try for your new club?
It was a good game, was fast to start off with then i think both sides began to tire later in the game. Was a physical game as it always is against fax but our lads stood up well to there big pack and matched them for the first half. Yeah was nice to get on the score sheet especially early on in the game it seemed to settle me a bit.
I understand that the training under Ged Stokes has been gruelling. Could you detail the kind of training the squad have been put through?
Yes has been very hard pre season. Going to Drigg Beach at 9am on a Sunday sometimes can be hard but if you want to become a better player you have to do it.
Do you feel that the squad's fitness levels have improved because of the tougher training regime?
Yeah, I think that we have definitely improved and gave us an advantage, but nothing beats match fitness.
When Ged Stokes first came into the club, many fans were unsure of the appointment. What impression has Ged made on you?
Ged is a brilliant coach. Everyone at the club gets on well with him and seem to have a lot of respect for him. He will always have my respect as he gave me my chance which I was very grateful for.
Realistically, how far do you think this squad go this season?
I think we have the potential to do well this year. The lads seem committed and enthusiastic about the coming season. Hopefully we can go one better than last year and make the final.
Many fans are currently busy planning for the away trip to Toulouse. As an unknown quantity, they will fancy their chances when playing at home. Are you personally looking forward to the unique challenge of playing in the South of France for your club?
Yeah i am, it should be an interesting experience. Having played against a French team with Whitehaven School whilst in Serbia I expect them to be a physical team who just don't stop coming at you.
With clubs around us making numerous signings, coupled with the loss of Dan Russell due to immigration laws, has this had an effect on the morale within the squad?
I for one was looking forward to playing with Dan and to see what he brings to the team. He looked sharp in training and seemed to be looking forward to the season, so I was gutted for him. The rest of the lads were too but these things happen and we have to cope with them.
Whilst you are contracted to Huddersfield, should we still expect to see you at the Recre for most of the 2009 season?
Yeah the plan is to stop at haven for the full year to get a bit more expirence and to finish my a levels.
Finally, I'm sure the last 12 months have been an amazing experience for you. Scoring a hat-trick debut, touring Australia with England U18, nearly progressing to the Grand Final with Haven and then signing a three year deal with a Super League club is extremely impressive by anyone's standards. Could you summarise how the past 12 months have been for you and where you would like to be in 12 months time?
Yeah has been an amazing year for me. I didn't expect to make a first team appearance never mind the rest. I would of been happy just to start every game for the academy, that was my aim at the start of the year. I was shocked to get the call up for the Salford game and then to get a phone call off the England coach was amazing. Well for this year my aim is to play well and get a good run in the first team. I hopefully should be getting bigger size wise and hopefully improve a few aspects of my game which I feel I need too.
One again, many thanks Gregg.
You made your debut for Huddersfield against Halifax. How did you find the game and was what it like to score your first try for your new club?
It was a good game, was fast to start off with then i think both sides began to tire later in the game. Was a physical game as it always is against fax but our lads stood up well to there big pack and matched them for the first half. Yeah was nice to get on the score sheet especially early on in the game it seemed to settle me a bit.
I understand that the training under Ged Stokes has been gruelling. Could you detail the kind of training the squad have been put through?
Yes has been very hard pre season. Going to Drigg Beach at 9am on a Sunday sometimes can be hard but if you want to become a better player you have to do it.
Do you feel that the squad's fitness levels have improved because of the tougher training regime?
Yeah, I think that we have definitely improved and gave us an advantage, but nothing beats match fitness.
When Ged Stokes first came into the club, many fans were unsure of the appointment. What impression has Ged made on you?
Ged is a brilliant coach. Everyone at the club gets on well with him and seem to have a lot of respect for him. He will always have my respect as he gave me my chance which I was very grateful for.
Realistically, how far do you think this squad go this season?
I think we have the potential to do well this year. The lads seem committed and enthusiastic about the coming season. Hopefully we can go one better than last year and make the final.
Many fans are currently busy planning for the away trip to Toulouse. As an unknown quantity, they will fancy their chances when playing at home. Are you personally looking forward to the unique challenge of playing in the South of France for your club?
Yeah i am, it should be an interesting experience. Having played against a French team with Whitehaven School whilst in Serbia I expect them to be a physical team who just don't stop coming at you.
With clubs around us making numerous signings, coupled with the loss of Dan Russell due to immigration laws, has this had an effect on the morale within the squad?
I for one was looking forward to playing with Dan and to see what he brings to the team. He looked sharp in training and seemed to be looking forward to the season, so I was gutted for him. The rest of the lads were too but these things happen and we have to cope with them.
Whilst you are contracted to Huddersfield, should we still expect to see you at the Recre for most of the 2009 season?
Yeah the plan is to stop at haven for the full year to get a bit more expirence and to finish my a levels.
Finally, I'm sure the last 12 months have been an amazing experience for you. Scoring a hat-trick debut, touring Australia with England U18, nearly progressing to the Grand Final with Haven and then signing a three year deal with a Super League club is extremely impressive by anyone's standards. Could you summarise how the past 12 months have been for you and where you would like to be in 12 months time?
Yeah has been an amazing year for me. I didn't expect to make a first team appearance never mind the rest. I would of been happy just to start every game for the academy, that was my aim at the start of the year. I was shocked to get the call up for the Salford game and then to get a phone call off the England coach was amazing. Well for this year my aim is to play well and get a good run in the first team. I hopefully should be getting bigger size wise and hopefully improve a few aspects of my game which I feel I need too.
One again, many thanks Gregg.
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Two down, Two to go
The spirits of the Haven faithful have been much higher these past few days mainly due to the fact that Serbian trialist Soni Radovanovic has been cleared to play and the signing of Aussie starlet Jamie Theoharous.
In fairness, 20 year old Soni hasn't known whether he's been coming or going for the past few weeks. Initially, the RFL wouldn't grant him a permit to come and play meaning the deal was off. I personally spoke to Soni the day this was announced and broke the news to him. I certainly didn't feel good about that!
However a couple of weeks on, and I'm sure after plenty of work from Ged Stokes, he has received clearance to play and is due to feature in the friendly against Bradford. I also was the first person to break this news to him, so it more than made up for the last bit of news I had shared. I am extremely keen to see this guy play and I'm sure Ged wouldn't bring him all the way over here if he didn't rate him highly. A strong running prop/second rower is exactly what you need in this league
Our new Aussie signing, Jamie Theoharous, is probably the worst kept secret in the history of signings. It seemed that everyone, but a small handful on the forum, knew who the guy was! The 20 year old has signed from Penrith Panthers after winning thier U20 player of the year in the Toyota Cup. Jamie certainly seems to be versatile and can play Loose Forward, Hooker or Half Back. I personally expect him to feature at the latter if Dan Russell isn't granted a visa at his appeal. It is also worth nothing that Jamie doesn't count on the quota due to his Cypriot heritage.
Moving onto Russell, the RFL are still looking over further information which backs up his case to stay. A decision is expected soon but I can't imagine Dan is too happy at all of this messing around. If he does eventually get granted a visa, I'm not too sure if he will still be keen to come back and play after such a long wait. I guess time will tell. It seems we are also still playing the waiting game over Makisi also.
Let's just presume for a minute that Radovanovic is the real deal and we sign him up and we also manage to sort out the visa issues with Russell and Makisi. That would leave us with a pretty heavy squad numbers wise so what would the best line-up be? I'm sure everyone will have a different line up, however I will go with:
Craig Benson
Craig Calvert
Rob Jackson
Saia Makisi
Ade Adebisi
Carl Rudd
Dan Russell
Ryan McDonald
Graeme Mattinson
Karl Edmonson
Spencer Miller
Scott McAvoy
Jamie Theoharous
Gregg McNally
Soni Radovanovic
Marc Jackson
Leroy Joe
Acutally it is a lot harder than it looks to pick the optimum line up. With having such a large squad, there are a number of players who could be knocking on the door if they impress.
I certainly would be keen to know what everyone else's line up would be, presuming we do manage to sort our Russell and Makisi's visas. Be sure to comment with yours!
In fairness, 20 year old Soni hasn't known whether he's been coming or going for the past few weeks. Initially, the RFL wouldn't grant him a permit to come and play meaning the deal was off. I personally spoke to Soni the day this was announced and broke the news to him. I certainly didn't feel good about that!
However a couple of weeks on, and I'm sure after plenty of work from Ged Stokes, he has received clearance to play and is due to feature in the friendly against Bradford. I also was the first person to break this news to him, so it more than made up for the last bit of news I had shared. I am extremely keen to see this guy play and I'm sure Ged wouldn't bring him all the way over here if he didn't rate him highly. A strong running prop/second rower is exactly what you need in this league
Our new Aussie signing, Jamie Theoharous, is probably the worst kept secret in the history of signings. It seemed that everyone, but a small handful on the forum, knew who the guy was! The 20 year old has signed from Penrith Panthers after winning thier U20 player of the year in the Toyota Cup. Jamie certainly seems to be versatile and can play Loose Forward, Hooker or Half Back. I personally expect him to feature at the latter if Dan Russell isn't granted a visa at his appeal. It is also worth nothing that Jamie doesn't count on the quota due to his Cypriot heritage.
Moving onto Russell, the RFL are still looking over further information which backs up his case to stay. A decision is expected soon but I can't imagine Dan is too happy at all of this messing around. If he does eventually get granted a visa, I'm not too sure if he will still be keen to come back and play after such a long wait. I guess time will tell. It seems we are also still playing the waiting game over Makisi also.
Let's just presume for a minute that Radovanovic is the real deal and we sign him up and we also manage to sort out the visa issues with Russell and Makisi. That would leave us with a pretty heavy squad numbers wise so what would the best line-up be? I'm sure everyone will have a different line up, however I will go with:
Craig Benson
Craig Calvert
Rob Jackson
Saia Makisi
Ade Adebisi
Carl Rudd
Dan Russell
Ryan McDonald
Graeme Mattinson
Karl Edmonson
Spencer Miller
Scott McAvoy
Jamie Theoharous
Gregg McNally
Soni Radovanovic
Marc Jackson
Leroy Joe
Acutally it is a lot harder than it looks to pick the optimum line up. With having such a large squad, there are a number of players who could be knocking on the door if they impress.
I certainly would be keen to know what everyone else's line up would be, presuming we do manage to sort our Russell and Makisi's visas. Be sure to comment with yours!
Saturday, 17 January 2009
Razzmatazz!
So we now have a Chairman with arguably the best name in rugby league in Dick Raaz, but what do the new BOD appointments really mean for our club. Well firstly let's look at each of the new members in turn:
Dick Raaz (Chairman): Ex-US Navy Submarine commander and also played a role behind the scenes of the Blockbuster movie The Hunt For Red October. The American is now heading up the radioactive waste repository at Drigg. From what I've heard, eccentric might be a good way to describe Raaz, but he obviously must be doing something right to be in charge of such an important project at Drigg. Whether he is rugby league material though, only time will tell.
Cath Giel & Tim Knowles: Both are members of Copeland Councils Executive committee and you would presume they sit on the board to protect the councils interest in the club as well as ensuring the Pow Beck redevelopment scheme can move forward. A good move for the short term in my view, whether they will be in it for the long haul though is another question.
Barry Richardson: Well Barry is no stranger to the club and the fans. The former Chairman has made more returns to the BOD than Rocky Balboa has made comebacks. That point aside though, virtually everyone I have come across has a lot of respect for Barry and in my view, we need someone on the BOD who has experience in running a rugby league club. After all, the previous people mentioned haven't had any at all.
Michael Wood: Long time Haven fan and long serving accountant at JFW Robinson & Co. You would like to think Mike will be in charge of the financials of the club, something which has seemingly been hard to control over the past couple of seasons.
The new look BOD certainly does have a unique mix of knowledge, experience, local influence and flair. On the surface it seems like the departure of Gordon Grace has resulted in a more positive result than was envisaged.
The new BOD have wasted no time in setting out their stall for the future of the club. As expected, the main point they focus on is the development of the stadium, something which has been in the pipeline for numerous years now. They hope that Rugby League will act as a catalyst for the success of the Pow Beck scheme with the new stadium being part of this.
One interesting point they do make is the 8000 capacity stadium that work should commence on next year. Now I stand to be corrected on this, but why are we building an 8000 capacity stadium when this doesn't meet two of the previous Super League entry criteria? Providing criteria for future applicants stays roughly the same, then surely that put us at a two point disadvantage before we even start. It would be impossible for us to tick the 'A stadium capacity of at least 12,000' and 'An average crowd of 10,000 or over' boxes. Ok so the latter is a little ambitious anyway, but with an 8000 capacity stadium, we haven't even got the potential to tick that.
Surely a policy similar to what Leigh have done with their sports village would be a better approach to take. Originally scheduled for 10,000 all seater, they changed the plans to incorporate terracing in order to meet the 12,000 capacity criteria. I for one am slightly concerned over the stadium capacity announcements and would be keen to hear what the new BOD plans are in regards to Super League. Saying that though, do the RFL actually use the criteria to make their decisions on Super League entry?! - That's another story.
What does seem to come out of this announcement made on Radio Cumbria is that the existing ground wouldn't be re-developed. Instead a completely new stadium would be erected within the vicinity. Should we believe all of this though? I'm personally taking it all with a pinch of salt. We have been told numerous times that development work is going start, but so far we haven't seen anything which remotely backs up any the plans. Until the JCB's move into the Recre then I'm afraid I am sitting with the sceptical people.
On a side note, the Dan Russell and Soni Radovanovic saga continues as both are still waiting for an absolute decision to be made one way or another. The return of Saia Makisi as a non quota player would be an extremely good move by the club if they can pull it off. Then of course there is the Greek/Aussie player which only a few people know about. If all of these signings come off, which going on past experience will be unlikely, then I think we have a good enough squad to take on any team in our league.
A new BOD with new plans to move the club forward all seems very positive on the surface. However, unlike some fans, I am not prepared to laud praises on these people just yet. 'Actions speak louder than words' and that statement has never been appropriate than it is for Whitehaven RLFC in the current climate.
Dick Raaz (Chairman): Ex-US Navy Submarine commander and also played a role behind the scenes of the Blockbuster movie The Hunt For Red October. The American is now heading up the radioactive waste repository at Drigg. From what I've heard, eccentric might be a good way to describe Raaz, but he obviously must be doing something right to be in charge of such an important project at Drigg. Whether he is rugby league material though, only time will tell.
Cath Giel & Tim Knowles: Both are members of Copeland Councils Executive committee and you would presume they sit on the board to protect the councils interest in the club as well as ensuring the Pow Beck redevelopment scheme can move forward. A good move for the short term in my view, whether they will be in it for the long haul though is another question.
Barry Richardson: Well Barry is no stranger to the club and the fans. The former Chairman has made more returns to the BOD than Rocky Balboa has made comebacks. That point aside though, virtually everyone I have come across has a lot of respect for Barry and in my view, we need someone on the BOD who has experience in running a rugby league club. After all, the previous people mentioned haven't had any at all.
Michael Wood: Long time Haven fan and long serving accountant at JFW Robinson & Co. You would like to think Mike will be in charge of the financials of the club, something which has seemingly been hard to control over the past couple of seasons.
The new look BOD certainly does have a unique mix of knowledge, experience, local influence and flair. On the surface it seems like the departure of Gordon Grace has resulted in a more positive result than was envisaged.
The new BOD have wasted no time in setting out their stall for the future of the club. As expected, the main point they focus on is the development of the stadium, something which has been in the pipeline for numerous years now. They hope that Rugby League will act as a catalyst for the success of the Pow Beck scheme with the new stadium being part of this.
One interesting point they do make is the 8000 capacity stadium that work should commence on next year. Now I stand to be corrected on this, but why are we building an 8000 capacity stadium when this doesn't meet two of the previous Super League entry criteria? Providing criteria for future applicants stays roughly the same, then surely that put us at a two point disadvantage before we even start. It would be impossible for us to tick the 'A stadium capacity of at least 12,000' and 'An average crowd of 10,000 or over' boxes. Ok so the latter is a little ambitious anyway, but with an 8000 capacity stadium, we haven't even got the potential to tick that.
Surely a policy similar to what Leigh have done with their sports village would be a better approach to take. Originally scheduled for 10,000 all seater, they changed the plans to incorporate terracing in order to meet the 12,000 capacity criteria. I for one am slightly concerned over the stadium capacity announcements and would be keen to hear what the new BOD plans are in regards to Super League. Saying that though, do the RFL actually use the criteria to make their decisions on Super League entry?! - That's another story.
What does seem to come out of this announcement made on Radio Cumbria is that the existing ground wouldn't be re-developed. Instead a completely new stadium would be erected within the vicinity. Should we believe all of this though? I'm personally taking it all with a pinch of salt. We have been told numerous times that development work is going start, but so far we haven't seen anything which remotely backs up any the plans. Until the JCB's move into the Recre then I'm afraid I am sitting with the sceptical people.
On a side note, the Dan Russell and Soni Radovanovic saga continues as both are still waiting for an absolute decision to be made one way or another. The return of Saia Makisi as a non quota player would be an extremely good move by the club if they can pull it off. Then of course there is the Greek/Aussie player which only a few people know about. If all of these signings come off, which going on past experience will be unlikely, then I think we have a good enough squad to take on any team in our league.
A new BOD with new plans to move the club forward all seems very positive on the surface. However, unlike some fans, I am not prepared to laud praises on these people just yet. 'Actions speak louder than words' and that statement has never been appropriate than it is for Whitehaven RLFC in the current climate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
