Crucial win keeps Whitehaven hopes alive

Kingstone Press Performance of the Week – Whitehaven

Whitehaven coach Dave Woods believes his team can avoid relegation after their crucial 28-13 victory over Batley Bulldogs.

Whitehaven remain 10th on points difference, with only three games remaining to climb out of the drop zone.

Woods said: “We were very good in the second half against Batley. Everyone was a bit anxious and probably trying a bit too hard to start with, but we addressed a few things at half time and came good.

“If we cut out the stupid penalties and get an even amount of possession then we’re always a chance.”

He added: “We think we can go to Sheffield and perform well on Sunday, and then we’ve got two very tough games against Swinton and Rochdale, who are both down at the bottom but still putting out big performances. But we’re confident we can do a job.”

Kingstone Press Try of the Week – Liam McAvoy (Workington Town)

Workington Town’s Liam McAvoy finished a length-of-the-field move in Workington’s 36-10 defeat at Doncaster.

Town coach Phil Veivers said: “We were chasing the game and from deep inside our own half Peter Lupton took the ball to the line and put it out the back to Carl Forber, who split the defence open.

“Callum Phillips supported on his outside, and when the winger ran him down, he passed overhead to Jason Mossop.

“He skipped across a couple of defenders and found Marc Shackley who was backing up.

“He moved across field and then produced a 20-metre pass to Liam McAvoy, playing as an emergency centre at that stage, and he slid in for the try.”

Kingstone Press Championship Team of the Week

1 Karl Pryce (Dewsbury Rams)
2 Gareth Potts (Halifax)
3 Tom Armstrong (Leigh Centurions)
4 Etu Uaisele (Sheffield Eagles)
5 Misi Taulapapa (Sheffield Eagles)
6 Martyn Ridyard (Leigh Centurions)
7 Paul Handforth (Keighley Cougars)
8 Carl Forster (Whitehaven)
9 Sean Penkywicz (Leigh Centurions)
10 Matty Carbutt (Doncaster)
11 Gary Middlehurst (North Wales Crusaders)
12 Lee Mitchell (Whitehaven)
13 Steve Snitch (Doncaster)

Kingstone Press Championship One Team of the Week

1 Sean Morris (Oxford)
2 James Saltonstall (York City Knights)
3 Lee Brickwood (Hunslet Hawks)
4 Phil Cowburn (Gloucestershire All Golds)
5 Gavin Duffy (Hunslet Hawks)
6 Pat Smith (York City Knights)
7 Matt Bradley (Gloucestershire All Golds)
8 Matty Barron (Gateshead Thunder)
9 David March (Hunslet Hawks)
10 Lee Fewlass (Gateshead Thunder)
11 Chris Clarkson (Hunslet Hawks)
12 Eddie Mbaraga (Hemel Stags)
13 Jordan Rice (Oxford)