Departures

[MrsHavenWarrior]

Whitehaven Rugby League can today confirm the departure of Geronimo Doyle, Will Evans & Tom Wilkinson.

Tom Wilkinson will be taking time out of the game while Will Evans & Geronimo Doyle have decided to pursue other options in 2023.

Wilkinson leaves the club after joining the club ahead of the 2019 League 1 season which of course seen the club finish the season as Champions and secured promotion to the Championship for the then curtailed 2020 season.

 He leaves the LEL Arena with a total of 70 appearances scoring 6 tries. Interim CEO Ashley Kilpatrick spoke of Wilkinson’s depart saying “ Wilko has decided to take some time away from the game and the club understands his decision. He will be a massive miss in the middle. He’s your 7/8 out of 10 every week. Wilko has been brilliant since I came to the club, he just comes in and gets his head down and gets in with it. I’d like to thank Wilko and wish him all the best in the future.”

Will Evans leaves the LEL Arena after just one season making 26 appearances for the club scoring 8 tries and hitting form towards the end of the campaign which secured him the young player of the year award at the club’s end of season awards night.

Evans also made his international debut mid-season for Wales in their test vs France and will hoping to be apart of their squad for the World Cup starting next month.

Ashley Kilpatrick spoke of Evans departure saying “Will spoke to me earlier this week and informed me that he has decided to move on and further his career away from Whitehaven in 2023. Will struggled when he first came over I don’t think that’s any secret but towards the back end of the year we saw the potential Will has and showed what he can do.

Will was helping coaching the development academy and bought into what we were doing with that. I’d like to thank Will for his efforts in 2022 and wish him all the best in the World Cup as well as for 2023.”

Geronimo Doyle will also leave the LEL Arena after what has been a frustrating year for the Kiwi full back which has seen him limited to 13 appearances scoring 2 tries following breaking his arm in the 1895 cup play-off back in April which seen him make only 2 appearances after that in the remainder of the campaign.

Despite his limited appearances on the field in the second half of the campaign the Kiwi continued to play his part off the field being part of the club’s media team producing content for the club’s social media channels. Ashley Kilpatrick spoke saying “Geronimo has decided to move on for 2023. It hasn’t worked for him at Whitehaven sadly and I don’t think we saw the potential he has due to no fault of his own. Breaking his arm in the early part of the season and suffering setbacks when attempting to return hasn’t helped with that. However Geronimo did play you could see the potential with his attacking flair, I wish Geronimo all the best for 2023 and his career.

#WeareHaven

[WHITEHAVEN RLFC 4 EVA]

Gutted and shocked esp Wilko

[whitehavenRLforever]

Wilko is the biggest miss. Always have his best . We didn’t see much of Cassino following injury . Sad to lose Evans. Slow start but was outstanding back end . Heard a rumour he’s off to Widnes . If true yet another player lost to a rival club.

On the positive surely this must free up some cash to bring in other players. Our scout down under has done an excellent job bringing these lads in . Hopefully more ligned up. Wouldn’t mind that half back from Catalan we had for one game

[noahrob]

It would be interesting to know where these guys are going.

[Steven DeMont]

It makes me laugh when boom and bust clubs like Widnes and Halifax throw money around to pillage players from other teams.

Really surprised at the Wilkinson one. He'll be a huge miss. I sincerely hope he doesn't suddenlt appear at Barrow in the next few months after we have released him.

Not sure we have the resources to recover from the loss of quality personnel next season. Could be a long one.

Let's hope the plan isn't to sign Town's out of contract contingent because none of them are good enough.

[Casperjack]

Disagree with the feeling town players aren't good enough. I'm hoping at least one of them sign and think he's a ready made replacement for Tom Wilkinson....... Also don't forget how desperate we were for a scrum half (for several seasons) until Nikau landed.....

[spacecake]

Obrien Fitzsimmons Barnes Henson and doran would all be good signings for us

[Richard Bills]

Obrien Fitzsimmons Barnes Henson and doran would all be good signings for us

I would be happy with O'brien, Fitzsimmons and Henson. Big no to Doran. Unfit and not nearly Championship standard.

[WHITEHAVEN RLFC 4 EVA]

Fitzsimons isn’t champ standard he’s too small

[Biffer]

Fitzsimons isn’t champ standard he’s too small

He's been Towns best by far this year in my opinion and has a couple of options to stay in the Championship, more than capable at that level

[HavenWarrior]

Obrien Fitzsimmons Barnes Henson and doran would all be good signings for us

I would be happy with O'brien, Fitzsimmons and Henson. Big no to Doran. Unfit and not nearly Championship standard.

Henson just resigned for Town

HW

[Steven DeMont]

Has something happened the club aren't telling us?

Understand that there is funny money flying around with SL2 potentially on the horizon but this looks catastrophic.

There's no way we will be able to replace the players that have departed with anyone of the quality required.

I make that at least 7 gone not including Phillips and Taylor who are supposedly retiring. Also been told Davies and Walker have gone elsewhere being out of contract.

[noahrob]

Has something happened the club aren't telling us?

Understand that there is funny money flying around with SL2 potentially on the horizon but this looks catastrophic.

There's no way we will be able to replace the players that have departed with anyone of the quality required.

I make that at least 7 gone not including Phillips and Taylor who are supposedly retiring. Also been told Davies and Walker have gone elsewhere being out of contract.

Have to agree with you regarding the club, management have got to get to the bottom of this, I don't believe it's money that they are leaving, there is more to it that meets the eye.

[WHITEHAVEN RLFC 4 EVA]

It’s actually shocking but we see this every year the club aren’t making hard enough attempts to keep players so we start from scratch every season and with how important this coming season you would think the club would learn but sadly it doesn’t it’s getting very worrying

[lastmanstanding]

The club lacks ambition as we never seem to build on a good team, yes money is tight but to get people through the gates you need a successful team and not just rely on the die hard supporter’s. We lost 2 of our best players last season to fax and now it looks like the rats are jumping the sinking ship?