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.

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.

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.