Published at 15:52, Wednesday, 25 February 2009

IT’S going to be an eye-opener for Whitehaven at Leigh on Sunday – in more ways than one.

Officials, players and travelling fans will see first hand how the other half live...in a brand new Sports Village stadium.

Exactly what Whitehaven RLFC and its partners aspire to, but some would say that Leigh’s deluxe accommodation gives them a head start in preparing for a Super League licence application.

Whitehaven RLFC, through its Recreation Ground regeneration partners, are committed to the Sports Village concept. Sunday’s visit will show what needs to be done to match up off the field.

On it, memories are still fresh of Haven’s thrilling play-off win at dear old Hilton Park. Now the more immediate need is for a rep-eat performance making amends for a pretty poor effort in last weekend’s local derby at The Recre. No zip, zest or style but credit to Dave Rotheram’s Town who had all the hunger.

For sluggish Whitehaven, nothing was going to script. Okay, Haven won well enough in the end and Ged Stokes dearly wants to win the Northern Rail Cup but not on this showing.

The head coach did his best to talk up the fatigue factor and playing three games in a week did prob-ably take its toll, although not everyone was involved!

But we will give them the benefit of the doubt and it is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility that a fit, refreshed Haven will set their stall out at the Leigh Sports Village and pull off a vital win just as they did in September to spoil a Hilton Park leaving party.

No Broadbent, Makisi, Fatialofa or Hill this time around but hopefully still enough firepower to give Leigh a real smack in the eye even though doubts have been cast about one or two of Whitehaven’s replacements up front.

Nevertheless we will again give Mr Stokes the benefit of the doubt, he’s been proved right in the past. Kyle Amor from Hensingham is looking the part.

But thank goodness last weekend for Mr Perpetual Motion – Graeme Mattinson, and to a lesser extent, evergreen Kiwi skipper Leroy Joe for pulling things round, but the contribution of the young man at the back should not be overlooked.

Craig Benson has done enough in a short time to hold down the No.1 spot, he’s strong in defence and displays the fearlessness of his predecessor, Broadbent.

Given a dry ground, I reckon Benson will add a new dimension to the attack but for the moment the coaching staff must be looking for a settled side.

That probably also means finding the best position for Jamie Theoharous.

Scrum half, stand-in hoo-ker, loose forward? – I think it would help if the young Aussie had a settled posit-ion if he is going to find his feet on heavier turf that he’s used to Down Under.

Gregg McNally has yet to hit his brilliant best, perhaps it doesn’t help the 18-year-old being on the bench, but he’s scored tries in each of the two Northern Rail jousts and his stunner against Leigh in the play-offs as a prelude to his follow up hat-trick at Halifax is an omen perhaps.

Meanwhile, it’s all go off the field and pleasing to report the involvement of Richard Caborn. Through the nuclear connection – he’s on the board of Haven’s main sponsors Nuclear Management Partners – the former Secretary State for Culture and Sport has been down to The Recre to give the new Board the benefit of his wisdom of how to get things done and the tools to do it. That starts, it seems, by recruiting volunteer craftsmen to spruce up the ground and make things more comfortable ahead of expensive transformation.

There will be some interesting and covetous eyes over the Leigh Sports Village, not least by Whitehaven’s two local authority representatives on the board, and if the Leigh project cost a reported £80 million then why is Whitehaven’s put at £20 million, albeit rising? Funding is an issue.

As things stand, Ameri-can chairman Dick Raaz is determined to get “White-haven on its financial feet”.

“I knew it was going to be tough, but we have a phrase back home....in for a nickle in for a dime,” he said.

We might call it putting your money where your mouth is.

Although on a purely voluntary level if there are plumbers and joiners about willing to lend a hand around The Recre to make things more comfortable then the club would love to hear from you!

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk