Last updated at 15:30, Wednesday, 24 February 2010

THE GOVINOR: Former Halifax half-back Mick Govin brings his skills to Whitehaven

FOR the first time in many a season, Whitehaven were knocked from their perch as the best team in Cumbria last year.

In most years, reaching the Championship play-offs would have been enough to see them claim that crown, but last year belonged to Barrow.

This time out, coach Ged Stokes – insistent his emotional speech on live TV after Haven were knocked out of the play-offs was not meant as a goodbye, but rather a message of praise to his squad – is ready once again to lead the league’s perennial over-achievers on their seasonal quest for success, confident the side he has built can compete with the best.

“It’s too early really to judge what will happen this year,” said a cautious Stokes.

“It is a really, really tough competition and I think any team speculating about what they can achieve is doing it a little bit early.

“We have said this constantly throughout the past four or five years that this competition is getting tougher and again I think the coaches, the players and the recruitment that has been done in this division tells us that every team we face will be a really big challenge.

“I think it’s far too early to predict anything yet and all I can talk about is that we are satisfied with the squad that we have.

“Like with any team, I think the forward pack is paramount.

“I think we have got an experienced bunch of lads there and that helps bring the young players we have on board through.

“I’m really happy that we have signed Dylan Skee and Mick Govin to bolster our halves. That’s an area in the last two years where we have struggled a little bit in terms of being able to attract the right players to the club.

“I think we have done that now. Both will take time to acclimatise, but both are very good players. They will definitely complement Carl Rudd, who has been really our one and only specialist in that position since I have been there.

“That is the area I am really pleased we are strong in, but my statement has always been with Whitehaven, that as a group, we have to play extremely well.

“As a team we need to be strong because there are some very big players at other teams, who individually can win games for them.”

While Barrow’s success will not have gone down very well with many Haven fans, Stokes has been glad to see a renewal of the county derby.

He is expecting two more fierce clashes between the teams this year, and added: “I think the success Barrow have had has certainly brought back the derby between Barrow and Whitehaven.

“Last year both the matches were extremely good games. We lost at Barrow by six points and we won at home – there wasn’t much between the teams.

“For me, that tells us that there is going to be a lot of competition between the teams and that really brings back the derby atmosphere.

“It’s my hope as coach, and Steve will be wanting it as well, to do the double.

“I see it as being healthy for the supporters of rugby league in Cumbria to have two teams in the same division who competed so well last year.

“But what happened last year won’t have too much bearing on this year.”

First published at 13:10, Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk