CARL Sice vs Aaron Lester. No, it’s not a competition, but the fact that the young pretender starred with a hat-trick of tries in Sunday’s redeeming home victory over Barrow has re-opened the debate over Haven’s hooking position.

Like: Who should start in the No.9 shirt? Sice, the younger man, got his chance in the Northern Rail Cup at The Recre last week because the skipper was injured.

Few players like to be on the subs bench, although this is the nature of today’s game: Impact at the right time.

On his day Aaron Lester, who has signed a new two-year contract, is arguably still the best hooker in the division and one of the best leaders.

His leadership remains a big factor at Whitehaven. When the dynamic Kiwi plays well then invariably the team plays well, although sometimes too much reliance has been put on his shoulders.

In my opinion, Lester has proved himself the best No.9 ever to wear the chocolate blue and gold and that’s why he was selected as one of the Haven Immortals.

No doubt in my mind, subject to form and fitness, that Aaron will continue to be the first choice starting No9, he is the captain after all.

That does not stop the heir apparent continuing to chaff at the bit. His five-star display against Barrow proved as much.

In most National League One sides, Carl Sice would be first choice hooker. Last season, although understudy to Lester, I considered him to be the best Cumbrian hooker by birth and championed his right to be in the Cumbria team and after being originally overlooked the ex-Town jack in the box got the honour he deserved against the Anzacs.

Head coach Steve McCormack knows he is in an enviable position of having two top-class hooker on the books, plus the new Aussie Jamie Seaton being able to cover the position as well.

But when I put Steve on the spot yesterday as to who would be starting against Gateshead on Sunday his answers were so diplomatic that I suggested he should have considered putting himself up for Jack Cunningham’s political job!

Q: Is Aaron Lester fit for this Sunday. A: Yes.

Q: Will he start again the game. A: He will be in the 17........ I haven’t picked the side yet.

Much tongue in cheek. I will be surprised if Lester doesn’t lead the team out.

“Aaron is a massive influence on the team but Carl Sice is an outstanding player in his own right,” says Haven’s master politician.

But McCormack is quick to make a telling point: “Carl played more games for Whitehaven than any other player last season, he only missed one game against Swinton, and played good games over and over again. Every one of them in the No.9 position with Aaron unless he went off injured moving to back row, loose forward or No.6. And for most of the time they were on the field at the same time, causing a lot of threats between them.”

So long may it continue, starting against The Thunder at The Recre on Sunday in the next round of the Northern Rail Cup. Don’t know about Lester, but I fancy Carl to bag a few more tries......when he comes on!

Behind the scrum, there’s a few talking points, too.

Like another very talented young man, Carl Rudd, from Wath Brow, will be making an eagerly awaited debut from the bench but only too ready to start putting considerable pressure on the first choice middle backs.

Haven’s threequarter line in the 44-0 drubbing of Barrow must be one of the youngest ever to represent the club, boasting a pair of flying wingers in Craig Calvert and John Lebbon and the talent of Derry Eilbeck who made a try scoring debut at centre alongside the evergreen David Seeds.

Steve McCormack is aware of the fans’ impatience to see Calvert in full cry for the tries.

Yet as the coach again so politically puts it: “The fact that John Lebbon, Derry Eilbeck and David Seeds all scored against Barrow shows we are giving the ball a lot of width so if we score before the ball gets to Craig Calvert I am happy about it. Lebbon is also a talent and like Calvert has that knack of scoring tries.”

PS: Well done Joel Penny for confounding the critics sceptical of his ability to replace the dazzling Sam Obst at scrum half.

Last word to the master politician: “This time last week everybody was saying ‘what have we brought Joel in for’ but he showed he is an exceptional player.”