Championship full-back ruled out for the rest of the season

Drew Darbyshire
Championship, Lambert Balmas, Toulouse Olympique

Whitehaven have confirmed that they will be without full-back Sam Freeman for the rest of the 2023 Championship season through injury.

The 24-year-old left the field in Whitehaven’s 16-14 win over Cumbrian rivals Barrow on Good Friday and didn’t return to the action.

Scans have since confirmed that the injury is a recurrence of the ACL injury that kept him sidelined before he signed for the club ahead of this season.

Freeman will play no further part in the 2023 campaign as he enters the road of recovery.

“All at the club wish Sam a speedy recovery,” a club statement read.

More on Sam Freeman

Freeman came through the ranks at his hometown club Widnes, scoring four tries on his first team debut back in 2019.

The utility back went on to make eight appearances for the Vikings as well as having a short spell on loan in League 1 with North Wales Crusaders.

Freeman then left Widnes to sign for League 1 side Rochdale ahead of the 2020 campaign. He scored two tries and kicked 24 goals in four games for the Hornets in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He signed for Rochdale again in 2021, kicking nine goals and scoring one try in five games before suffering an ACL injury which wiped out his season.

Whitehaven and Rochdale in loan swap deal

Championship club Whitehaven have signed Sam Haynes on loan from League 1 side Rochdale, with prop Daniel Spencer-Tonks going the other way.

Both players will be out on loan for two weeks, with both clubs having a 48-hour recall period for the remainder of the loan.

Haynes came through the ranks at Super League champions St Helens before linking up with the Hornets ahead of the 2023 campaign.

Spencer-Tonks linked up with Haven ahead of this season from Salford’s reserves.

Whitehaven coach Jonty Gorley said: “Dan leaves the club to get some game time and needs to be playing and we’ve got experienced middles in front of Dan at the moment.

“When this deal come up it works well for us as we are desperate for an outside back and Dan gets the game time he needs.

“Sam has come through a fantastic structure at St Helens and has played England Academy so we’re looking forward to see what he can do.”

READ NEXT: League 1 side Workington bolster pack with signing from French Elite