Last updated 15:57, Wednesday, 27 February 2008

IT remains to be seen whether the BBC commentator who described an England player as “a half wit” during Saturday night’s rugby union international has set a new style of TV punditry.

But one thing that will probably never change is that what’s said within the sanctuary of a rugby dressing room will always remain sacrosanct.

Like Brian (“Pit Bull”) Moore, the commentator in question and former England union hooker, the new Whitehaven RL coach Paul Crarey is not a man to mince his words, so it’s fair to say the air turned blue during half-time of Haven’s local derby match at the Recreation Ground on Sunday.

Exactly what was said we’ll never know but Mr Crarey delivered his rollicking in the old style of rugby coaching: More Shaun Edwards or Alex Murphy than, say, Brian Ashton!

It’s not exactly Crarey’s style. He much prefers the cool, calm, collected and certainly player empowerment approach aimed at improving a side’s performance.

But at half time last Sunday, his wayward charges felt the sharp edge of his tongue – what else when his team walked off with the boos and jeers of their fans ringing out?

What Crarey did say is that “you had better start playing or I will be out of the door”.......unequivocal enough from the man who is already on record as saying he would walk out if things didn’t work out after 12 months. And that was before a ball had been kicked.

So the players who’ve praised their coach’s new approach to training and playing had better believe it.

“That’s not how we train and it’s not what we want to play,” said Crarey ruefully.

“It was the worst 40 minutes display I’ve seen from a Whitehaven team playing at home in recent times and they deserved the boos.”

But Haven came back out snorting the fire Crarey breathed in the dressing room to win comfortably enough in the end.

In some ways, it was a moral victory for Dave Rotheram-transformed Town, who had showed much more desire and enthusiasm.

Haven must show more hunger – how ironic that within 48 hours Tesco came up with a sponsorship offer of matchday grub for the players. Bread and water is about as much as they deserved on Sunday.

There’s no doubt that Paul Crarey felt let down and embarrassed – “I take these things personally,” he told me. “The fans won’t accept performances like that from me as the coach, and I don’t accept it myself.”

Being on the terraces myself, I was able to assure him there were no calls for his head, nor any calls at half-time for the return of Dave Rotheram.

Even making allowances for the heavy pitch and Town’s improvement, some of the turgid stuff served up on Sunday was unacceptable all round, especially coming at a time when the club is not in the best of financial straits – full extent still to be disclosed officially – and when new chairman Gordon Grace made a call in last weekend’s match programme for increased attendances.

Sunday’s gate was poor, around a thousand down on last season’s corresponding Rail Cup fixture, so it’s up to the side to deliver the more attractive rugby the Board wants and the coach promises.

Town did Dave Rotheram proud on his return and not for one moment was he gloating when he said: “They didn't beat us playing expansive rugby, did they?”

So what’s this expansive rugby all about?

Most of us take it to mean free flowing football, the ball swept from side to side with Haven’s fast wingers flying for the line, and as they did in those opening friendly fixtures, scoring tries in spades.

Paul Crarey’s definition, however, isn’t “long, long, long” but “short, short, short” – he is sick and tired of seeing the ball going out too wide too soon and wants to see shorter passes and rapid backing up – “bodies behind the ball.”

Leroy Joe came on to make a big difference (at loose forward). “He’s what I am all about, I’m trying to keep him healthy but he wants to play all the time,” said Crarey.

So what do you think of it so far?” the coach asked me this week.

Too early to make a judgement really, Paul, but once the dry grounds come and the players get some sun on their backs I think we’ll see a difference.

Leroy Joe appears to have found the elixir of youth and certainly what Haven need at Keighley on Sunday is the kind of rejuvenation shown by the Kiwi maestro and prop Marc Jackson.

“We are going to go forward this weekend,” says a determined Paul Crarey, “and I want to see some passion.”