Published at 11:10, Thursday, 09 August 2012

HAIL Haven! Dismissing Doncaster, arguably the best team in the division, was their finest hour of the season to date – so thunder on to promotion at the expense of rock-bottom Gateshead at home again this weekend.

It couldn’t have got much better last Sunday as Whitehaven’s sheer will to win – and class – proved too much for the physical title-chasing Dons.

Short of one of the greatest Recreation Ground upsets of all time, Don Gailer’s boys will see off Thunder and stake their place in next season’s Championship proper – making it a Cumbria trio with Town and Barrow.

Jubilant Whitehaven scaled their own mini-Olympian heights, medals all round for the entire squad and coaches Gailer, Smith and Ashe.

Whether Gailer will get the directors’ vote of confidence to carry on next season as head coach remains to be seen but two big wins in a row – and promotion in the bag – is a persuasive testimonial. Certainly a firm hand will be needed at the tiller.

Against Doncaster, his team were superb all round but defence wins matches. Time and again it was a case of ‘thou shalt not pass.’

Despite The Dons being in the running for the £50,000 prize as Championship One winners, it looked as though Lee Doran & Co wanted to win just a bit more.

There were some splendid individual performances in a Titanic team effort.

Take a bow – once again – Carl Sice. Sicey was scintillating, a brace of absolutely crucial tries, and a constant danger, coming off the bench yet again.

Jamie Rooney, with another masterly play-making performance, took the official man-of-the-match award, but for me and others, Sice’s dancing feet and opportunism made him this game’s stand-out player.

Folk continue to question his attitude and they love to call him a maverick, but if you need to add spice and break a tight game then send on Sicey. He makes a difference and although he still plays hooker (No 18 on his jersey last Sunday) there’s no-one in the back line more skilful.

I also like the look of scrum-half/hooker Hemingway, on loan from Featherstone; just a pity journalistically he couldn’t have been christened Ernest – it’s Tom!

My biggest wrap (with Sicey) is for Jessie Joe Parker. We can see now just why the powerhouse centre is a Papua New Guinea Test star – we only hope he’s still here next season.

Not a great crowd (833) to see Haven’s game of the season, but here’s hoping for a good turn-out on Sunday to cheer the side to certain promotion, especially as club sponsors, NMP, will give away £1 for ever spectator through the turnstiles – with all proceeds going to Help For Heroes.

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