Martin Morgan News & Star
MY heart tells me it would be fabulous for Whitehaven to play in
Super League next season. My head tells me something different.
To go up to Super League next term could even spell disaster for the
club, given the conditions under which they would earn promotion.
The Rugby Football League has told Haven they will not be allowed in
Super League as the Recreation Ground is not up to standard. Haven
have warned, however, that if they win the final, they will consider
legal action.
While understandable from Haven's viewpoint, given the club's
impressive on and off-field progress over recent years, such action
would be likely to drag on for months.
And during that time they would not be able to recruit players for a
Super League campaign because they could not be certain of going up.
So what if they were finally given the go ahead in December or
January to play in Super League, giving coach Dave Rotheram only a
few weeks to prepare?
Even now, clubs promoted to Super League complain bitterly that they
have not enough time to prepare for the campaign ahead ? and that's
after their participation in the top echelon has been confirmed in
early October, following victory in the NL1 Grand Final.
Castleford Tigers went up last year after beating Haven and recruited
well.
They signed Aussie forward Danny Nutley, who had played in State of
Origin rugby, and picked up Danny Ward, released by Leeds Rhinos,plus
half-backs Danny Brough, whose one-pointer in 2005 had won the
Challenge Cup for Hull, and Peter Lupton, the ex-Haven loanee, from
Millom. Yet they were still relegated.
Despite the obvious pitfalls, I still remain a fervent supporter of
automatic promotion to Super League. If Haven win the final at
Warrington on Sunday week they should move up as of right. But the
RFL has blocked that avenue, so where do we go from there?
To me, there are two options for Haven.
By the middle of next year, Haven hope to have completed work on a
new Popular Side stand that would meet Super League requirements for
2008. If they won next season's Grand Final they would then have at
least four months to prepare for Super League.
Alternatively, they could try to secure a top-flight franchise when
launched in 2009.
With relegation then suspended for three years, Haven would have the
chance to plan long-term and develop Cumbria's top junior talent.
After winning nine of their last 10 matches, they now stand within 80
minutes of a third consecutive Grand Final.
It is sad that events have conspired against Haven this season. But
winning the final and picking up the ?100,000 prize would be a
wonderful achievement and a reward in itself.
Let's not get carried away in a mad rush for Super League this year
and jeopardise the chances for next season when the club should be
much better placed to aim for the top-flight - and stay there.
SO WHAT DO WE ALL MAKE OF THE COMMENTS IN THE NEWS AND STAR THEN?? PERSONALY I THINK IF WE WIN THE GF, WE SHOULD TAKE THE MONEY ON OFFER AND THEN SUE THE RL FOR NOT LETTING US UP. IN THE MEAN TIME WITH ALL THAT GOING ON WE CAN BULID ON THE SQUAD AND BUSINESS AREA OF THE CLUB FOR THE 2007 SEASON MAKING SURE THAT WE GO ON TO WIN THE GF AND PROGRESS TO SL.
