Exclusive By Alan Irving

Last updated 15:57, Wednesday, 26 March 2008

“I AM going to stick it out,” declared Whitehaven team boss Paul Crarey in the aftermath of two shocking Easter defeats.

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recall: Marc Bainbridge is set to come into Haven’s line-up

Crarey was left professionally devastated and personally affected by Easter Monday’s home loss to Batley which came 48 hours after being well beaten at Featherstone on Good Friday.

The disastrous start to the 2008 National League One programme came only a week after a rescue package averted the financial crisis which threatened the club’s existence in its 60th anniversary year.

Head coach Crarey said he was disgusted by his team’s first half performance against Batley on Easter Monday and the new Board of directors, who attracted the £75,000 financial lifeline, say they won’t accept similar “passionless” displays.

Crarey took some abuse from disgruntled spectators on Monday and was late leaving the Recreation Ground changing rooms after giving the players a dressing down.

Clearly hurt when he emerged, fuelling speculation about his future, he said: “I am gutted and take total responsibility. This was probably the worst performance from any side I have had anything to do with, absolutely shocking. There was no passion, no emotion.”

Crarey told the players he was disgusted by their effort and that it just wasn’t good enough.

“I said to the players: ‘Why can’t we play like we train? I can’t give you any more than I am doing, and you need to take a good look at yourselves.’

“What I said when I took the job still stands – if they are not happy with me at any time, I will go. But I’m not walking away.”

The ex-Barrow boss told The Whitehaven News he would not be quitting but expected the team to react in the right way.

“I set a target of 100 support runs in a game and, on Monday, we got 37 on top of completing only seven of our first 16 sets because we were dropping the ball and missing head-on tackles.”

New club chairman Gordon was as bitterly disappointed as the fans.

“We all have to learn to take the knocks in life and we have faith in Paul to put things right,” he said.

“We are just going to have to take it on the chin. We were all sick but there will be no knee-jerk reaction. We have full confidence in our coach to put right whatever went wrong in these two games. The team doesn’t become a bad one overnight.

“At the end of the day, we still have a rugby league club in Whitehaven, and that is the main thing at the moment. Along with my two fellow directors, I am getting to grips with what’s been inherited but, at the same time, the team has to step up to the plate and play with pride for their jersey.

“Featherstone Rovers and Batley Bulldogs proved that there are no easy beats in this competition.

“It will be a tough ask at Widnes this Sunday but we will all want to see a performance which has a lot more desire and passion.”

In his match programme notes for Easter Monday’s home game, the chairman said now that the club’s future had been secured through a £75,000 loan, under-written by the local authority, the bottom line is for the fans to show their support through the turnstiles and buy the club’s lottery tickets.

“As a Board of directors, we are effectively starting again and we need supporters to get behind the team and I am sure it won’t be long before we are winning again.”

Paul Crarey, who meets up with the players at training tonight (Thursday), added. “We have to take a good look at ourselves before the next match and put the faith back.”

Haven’s finance director, Barry Richardson, did not pull any punches right after the Batley flop.

“The level of passion shown by the players in this game was totally unacceptable to ourselves, and was also unfair on the coach and our supporters, especially those who travelled to Featherstone on Good Friday. We (the directors) just won’t accept this level of performance.

“Passion and commitment were severely lacking on Monday and on Good Friday at Featherstone. We have to pull things together and I am sure Paul Crarey will pull through. He is an excellent coach and the players think the world of him. Maybe the side needs more direction on the field and I am sure this is one of the things Paul will address but it’s not the end of the world. We have lost matches like this before and bounced back.”

Haven have been hit by an injury crisis since the double defeat.

Paul Crarey’s problems have mounted with star forward David Fatialofa and new half-back Liam Finch being counted out of Sunday’s big test at in-form Widnes, who are coached by ex-Haven boss Steve McCormack and whose line-up will feature scrum-half playmaker John Duffy.

Finch has replaced Duffy in the No 7 shirt but has now been ruled out with a broken hand, after playing most of the Batley match with the injury that affected his handling and passing.

“Liam injured himself early on but wouldn’t come off because he saw that his half-back partner Leroy Joe was also struggling.

“The lad took a lot of stick from some of the spectators, especially when he missed a touchdown in the second half, but it was unfair. He put in a very brave performance considering he was playing under such a handicap,” said Crarey.

The situation heralds a recall for young Marc Bainbridge, who acquitted himself so well when he had to fill the breach as Duffy’s deputy last season.

Another popular starlet on the way back is prop David Ford, the ex-Kells amateur, who has been nursing sore ribs.

Ford has big boots to fill because Kiwi Fatialofa has to undergo a knee operation after just hitting the comeback trail himself. But Fats is due to be out for no more than a couple of weeks.

Fellow front rower Marc Jackson, who might have added more devil to the Haven pack, is still recovering from a shoulder injury.

There is expected to be one more change to the back division with the likely recall of Saia Makisi, the Tongan centre, who is anxious to make an impact after a slow start to his Haven career.