Haven are dealt double body blow
Published at 15:43, Wednesday, 21 July 2010
INFLUENTIAL Haven stars Rob Jackson and Carl Rudd will be unable to help the club in their relegation battle – after being ruled out for the rest of the season.
Jackson has broken a cheekbone in an altercation in Wigan, whilst Rudd has suffered a reoccurrence of his knee injury, with both facing lengthy spells on the sidelines.
This is another bitter blow to Whitehaven, who have just four games left to stave off the drop, beginning with this weekend’s visit of top of the table Featherstone, ko 3pm.
The club issued a statement on flying centre Jackson’s injury at the weekend, sustained after he helped Haven out in the Northern Rail Nines at Blackpool.
Chairman Dick Raaz said: “The Board of Directors have been informed of an altercation that took place in Wigan on Saturday the 17th July 2010 between Haven’s Rob Jackson and an adult male.
“The clash took place at a private birthday party. The nature of the dispute is a personal matter between Mr Jackson and the other individual.
“Mr Jackson sustained a broken cheek bone during the altercation and pending expert medial advice, is unlikely to be available for selection for the rest of the season.”
Then, in a second body blow to Haven, coach Ged Stokes discovered he would also be without influential playmaker Carl Rudd.
The classy stand-off is struggling to get any movement in his problem knee and looks set to have to undergo another operation.
Rudd, who has already written his name large in Whitehaven’s history by moving in to second place behind the legendary John McKeown in the club’s all-time goal-kicking charts, will definitely miss the remainder of the season.
Stokes said: “It is the same knee that he has had problems with in the past and had half a dozen operations on it.
“It has been an ongoing problem but it has come to a head again now and he can’t even bend it.
“He was at training on Tuesday night but he has got no movement past a three-quarter stretch and he will need another operation.”
Stokes was devastated at having two more enforced changes in an already stretched squad but said the team would stand up and be counted against Featherstone at the Recre.
“This is just another blow in a season that hasn’t been the best,” said Stokes. “We have had a lot to deal with but we will put a team out there and we will try our best.”
The only bright spot at the moment surrounds the club’s Reserve Grade, who moved a step closer to clinching the Championship league winners’ trophy, following a convincing victory over York on Sunday.
The club’s second string continued their fine run of form with a 62-18 home win and moved six points clear at the top of the table.
Second placed Leigh do have three games in hand on them, with Oldham breathing down their neck in third but the Haven youngsters are just concentrating on their own game.
Manager, Dave Farrell, said: “We have three games left to play and we need to win two of them to be certain of winning the league.
“But, depending on other results, one could be enough to clinch the league winners’ shield, as the champions will be the team who wins the play-offs.
“We are just taking it a game at a time. We got off to a good start winning our opening three or four games and then lost at Leigh when we had far from our best team playing.
“And that has been the incentive for us to push on from there and all-in-all it’s been a very good season and I think the young players at the club have done themselves proud.”
There were braces for Tyrone Dalton and Mark Watson as Haven rattled up an impressive scoreline to show their intent against York.
Nicky Cook, Stephen Dawes, Jay Rossi, Scott McAvoy, Carl Stephenson and Chris Smith also touched down for Haven, with Dylan Skee landing six goals and Cook three.
Haven are running summer camps for youngsters next month. Five to seven year-olds are welcome on Monday 9 and Tuesday 17, eight to 10s on Tuesday 10 and Monday 16, 11 to 13s on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 19, 14 to 15-year-olds on Thursday 12 and Wednesday 18.
Haven’s Pride of Five £10,000 annual draw has been won by ticket number 3,411. The winner wishes to remain anonymous.
Haven’s Pride of Five £100 lottery winners for week starting July 12 were: J Shepherd, Muncaster Rd, Whitehaven, ticket no 1,826; K Fox, Derwentwater Rd, Whitehaven, 450; J Goodwin, High Rd, Whitehaven 2,906; H Robinson, Hawk Place, Moresby Parks, 172; R Gallagher, Barfs Rd, Distington, 712.
The winners from week starting July 19 were: J Park, New St, Whitehaven, 165; E Nichols, Woodlands Ave, Whitehaven, 1,255; McKinney, Church Hill Drive, Moresby Parks, 1,730; Mrs A Jones, Yewbank Lane, Whitehaven, 2,100; E Routledge, Main St, Frizington, 675.
Published by http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk
