Last updated at 21:45, Monday, 17 March 2008

STAND OFF, like fly half in the other code, remains the key position in rugby league.

That’s why young Liam Finch has a job and a half on his hands for Whitehaven at Halifax this weekend.

But coach Paul Crarey has faith in his fellow Barrovian – it will be like the Fledgling vs Methuselah, for Haven’s rookie stand off comes up against the old master Graham Holroyd, who can still weave a match-winning pattern or two.

It was the guile of Holroyd who really put the skids under Haven at the business end of last season, that late September clash at The Shay deciding who should play one of the big two, Widnes or Cas, in the National League One play offs. The one-time Leeds ace retains all the sublime skills of a game manager but not surprisingly lacks the speed he once had, as we saw at The Recre last season. Haven actually went to The Shay looking to beat Fax for the fifth time in 2007 and to book a semi final spot but in a winner take all contest the Tykes ran out 32-24 winners, The Fad Lady finally sung, bringing the curtain down on what I described as a bad soap opera. It was also the end for coach Dave Rotheram who was told inexplicably that he had lost his job on the eve of the previous televised home win over Leigh. Then on the way back from Halifax the news leaked that he had landed a two-year contract with neighbours Town – hardly the best kept secret!

Roterham and his successor Crarey again locked horns at Derwent Park last Sunday and while Haven ran out winners in “a proper derby” much closer than expected the performance underlined just how much better they’ll have to play to beat Halifax.

Significantly, Whitehaven will progress to the next stage of the Northern Rail Cup but win or lose this is a yardstick to measure how far they have progressed under Paul Crarey and the exacting game plan required to win against fellow part-timers.

It’s an acid test and for Liam Finch in particular a real chance to win his spurs in the No.6 shirt, he couldn’t have much tougher direct opposition than Holroyd.

One thing the fledgling has over the skilful veteran is speed, something Crarey will be looking to exploit especially in tandem with his canny scrum half John Duffy and in-form Carl Rudd, who will be switched back to loose forward. He wants to see the triumvirate running more with the ball and putting pace on to the game, playing expansively but sensibly.

“I didn’t play Liam against Town because I didn’t want him to get a knock, the idea was so save him for Halifax, I know the lad is going to be top class act and I want to give him the chance against better class opposition, both in Halifax as a division one team and Holroyd as a proven elite operator,” said the coach.

Crarey took the point when I put it to him that Holroyd can’t be allowed to dictate the game as though he was playing in the proverbial tuxedo, so Haven must quickly corner Fax’s fox-in the- box, deny him space to pull strings especially as their new coach Matt Calland has gone on record this week saying he had the division’s best centre partnership in Jon Goddard and Mike Ratu. Perhaps Haven’s Tongan Saia Makesi in partnership with Derry Eilbeck, so outstanding at Workington. But for either side the platform has to be laid up front – another test for Haven’s new look power-plus pack to show it really has what it takes. Take a lead Karl Edmondson, Ryan McDonald, Fats, Richard Fletcher & Co. Hopefully Kiwi Karl will have recovered from what his coach calls a near-decapitation in the Workington battle – well Town did turn up in the shape of Tarzan this time! – or again in Crarey’s words absolute war.

Six or one, half a dozen of the other perhaps but Dave Rotheram preferred to describe it as a good aggressive derby which will stand his Town in good stead. It will also do Haven good because will have to up the tempo at The Shay.

For Crarey’s men to retain their unbeaten record they’ll have to do it hard and smart, for good attack is build on solid defence. Haven must win the power battle up front, then and only then will the Fledgling outshine Methuselah!

First published at 11:06, Friday, 15 February 2008
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk