MATCH PREVIEW: WHITEHAVEN RLFC V MIDLANDS HURRICANES (BETFRED LEAGUE ONE ROUND 19)

Canes make second away trip to Cumbria in as many months

After another week off between games, Head Coach Mark Dunning and his men will make the long trip up to Cumbria to take on Anthony Murray’s Whitehaven RLFC at The Ortus REC.

The Canes have not played at The Alex since beating Rochdale Hornets 22-20 just over a month ago, and Sunday’s clash with Haven will be the third of three consecutive away games (having lost 29-12 to Workington at Derwent Park and 16-8 to Swinton Lions at Heywood Road). The Hurricanes currently sit outside the Super 8s for the first place in months, with Dewsbury Rams 64-10 demolition of Newcastle Thunder last week saw them leapfrog us into fourth points on points difference (albeit we have a game in hand). With the Rams facing Workington at the FLAIR Stadium at the same time, the Canes have an opportunity to regain fourth place depending on the outcome of both games.

As fans will have seen, Mark has made a number of loan signings in the days before the end of the transfer window to bolster his squad and provide cover for injuries that have crept in towards the business end of the season. Will Brough - the son of Super League stalwart Danny Brough - has joined on loan for the remainder of the season alongside Kye Armstrong (from Hull KR) and Cian Tyrer (from Oldham). All three - in addition to Sheffield Eagles’ loanee Lewis Peachey - could feature having been named in our 21-man squad. Aaron Willis also could return to the squad following a glute injury suffered whilst making his 50th appearance in Canes colours against Rochdale Hornets.

Turning to our opponents, Whitehaven have admitted to going through a period of transition following a difficult end to their 2024 season that saw them relegated from the Betfred Championship on the final day of the campaign. After losing all but one player from that squad necessitating a complete rebuild of their squad, Whitehaven have looked towards the future by sourcing promising stars from the community game to compliment a number of established players joining them for the 2025 campaign.

In terms of performances to date, Whitehaven currently sit eighth in the Betfred League One table with four wins and a draw from fifteen games, with their last win coming at home with a 42-24 win over Goole Vikings. However, a points difference of just -68 shows that Haven have been extremely competitive throughout the season and pose a serious threat whether home or away, and any team that takes them lightly could come undone in short order. Mark Dunning’s men will need to put in a strong performance if they are to secure a first-ever win at The Ortus Rec come Sunday afternoon.

In terms of head-to-head performances, the Canes had never beaten Whitehaven prior to this season and had last faced the Cumbrian outfit on the last day of the 2019 season which saw Haven secure automatic promotion to the Championship. However, the two sides have met twice so far in 2025 - both times at The Alex - with the hosts emerging victorious on both occasions. The first game saw the Canes win 52-24 in the First Preliminary Round of the 1895 Cup, whilst the second game saw the Canes win 38-8 in Round 10 of the league.

21-Man Squads:
Whitehaven RLFC
Dan Abram
Ethan Bickerdike
Josh Blinkhorn
Brad Brennan
Clarke Chambers
Luke Collins
Karl Garner
Ellison Holgate
Connor Holliday
Jack Kellett
Joe Lowe
Rio McQuistan
Max Anderson-Moore
Jack Newbegin
Ellis Nixon
Jake Pearce
Jordan Thomson
Daniel Spencer-Tonks
Mitchell Todd
Aaron Turnbull
Jay Weatherill

Midlands Hurricanes (brought to you by www.enjoytravel.com)
3 - Ryan Johnson (Sponsored by Hull Wyke RL)
4 - Ross Oakes (Sponsored by Geoff and Maureen Hammond)
8 - Jon-Luke Kirby (C) (Sponsored by EJ Interiors Ltd)
9 - Danny Barcoe (Sponsored by St Katherine’s Carpets)
12 - Josh Jordan-Roberts (Sponsored by 39 Steps Consulting)
13 - Mikey Wood (Sponsored by MG Electrical Contractors)
14 - Aiden Roden (Sponsored by Enjoy Travel Group)
15 - Aaron Willis (Available to Sponsor)
16 - Ellis Hobson (Sponsored by GLLEE UK Ltd)
17 - Kieran Moran (Sponsored by Longbridge Taiho Jutsu)
18 - Zeus Silk (Sponsored by This is Warrior)
20 - Elliot Morris (Sponsored by GLR Energy Ltd)
21 - Sully Medforth (Sponsored by Ideal Building Systems)
24 - Matty Hanley (Sponsored by JGE Wholesale)
25 - Luis Roberts (Sponsored by Crypto Construction)
26 - Ethan Newboult (Sponsored by Leeds Rugby Club)
27 - Liam Kirk (Sponsored by The Tennis Court)
00 - Lewis Peachey (Loan - Sheffield Eagles)
00 - Will Brough (Loan - Leigh Leopards)
00 - Kye Armstrong (Loan - Hull KR)
00 - Cian Tyrer (Loan - Oldham)

#DARETODREAM

Nick Parr9 August 2025