Cash-strapped Whitehaven won’t use any players at Halifax on Sunday who have not agreed to take a pay cut.

Coach Ged Stokes said: “The players have had to take cuts but some of them aren’t doing so. At this stage I don’t know who’s playing and who’s not.

“The only thing I do know for sure is that we’re definitely putting a team on the field.

“It’s the culmination of what’s been a very disruptive year, but we’ve just got to battle on.”

Because the public has been kept in the dark to a large degree over the extent of Whitehaven’s financial hardships, rumours have been circulating for some time now.

Chairman Dick Raaz has admitted that the club’s financial satiation is dire but insists the club is not going into administration.

He is trying to rally the troops ahead of the final five matches because he does admit that relegation would have horrendous implications.

Raaz wants the team to produce something special in the closing games to make suire they finish ahead of Dewsbury and Keighley – and they have to play both of them.

First up though is Sunday’s tough trip to Halifax when Whitehaven would be doing phenomenally well to bring something back even though Said Tamghart (knee) and Sean Penkywicz (shoulder) are doubtful.

The problem for the Cumbrians is that Halifax can strengthen their place in the top four of the Co-operative Championship with victory on Sunday.

Mark Gleeson is also ruled out for the rest of the season, while ‘Fax will assess Graham Holroyd, Ben Black and James Haley before finalising their squad.

Stokes has admitted he does not know which players will take part on Sunday and says of Halifax: “They will be as they always are, a side that can score a lot of points against you if you take your foot of their throat.”
 

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