Two of Whitehaven’s most experienced players have re-signed for the 2024 Championship season.
James Newton and Callum Phillips have agreed deals for next year and both are pivotal parts of Jonty Gorley’s squad as hookers.
The pair both saw their 2022 campaigns ended by serious ACL injuries before both returned to the field last season.
Newton made 24 appearances in 2023 starting 22 of them, scoring two tries and making his 200th appearance in the home victory over York Knights in June.
Overall he has now made 210 Haven appearances scoring 33 tries and five goals.
Head coach Gorley said: “Newts did a great job for me last year and you’ve got to remember he did it after coming back from an ACL reconstruction.
“He was out for nine to ten months, then came back in and was doing 80 minutes for me in the middle, mainly at nine but through necessity a bit of 13, which was testament to his fitness. There’s not many fitter than him in the squad.
“He’s the most positive and upbeat player I’ve got and just oozes energy. Those qualities went a very long way in keeping the squad together last year through the bad times.
“He was the one at training that never dropped his enthusiasm and picked up everyone else.
“He takes those qualities into games along with his effort areas, which is why he’s played, mostly in the Championship, for 10 years now and moving into next season Newts will be an important member of my squad.”
Phillips returned to the squad in the closing weeks of last season, playing in the final three games of the Championship campaign having been out since May 2022.
A popular member of the squad, both with his team-mates and on the terraces, all connected with the club were delighted when he returned to action after a year of dedicated rehab.
He made his 200th career appearance in the penultimate match of the season and has played 83 games for Whitehaven, scoring 34 tries.
Gorley said: “It’s great to get Callum signed up again. It’ll be like having a new player come to us.
“We missed Callum last year and the end of the year before. When he’s on he’s one of the best nine’s in the competition, there’s no denying that.
“His vision, running and pass selection out of dummy half are all real quality, so to have him back will definitely improve our attacking threat.
“Add to that the way he defends, his communication and his fitness, he will be a real asset to the squad.
“The time off he had through injury was awful for him but in one respect it’ll have done him good. It will have given time for the rest of his body to have a long-needed break from the battering it was taking every week due to the way Callum plays the game.
“So I can’t wait to see a revived Callum Phillips take the field for Whitehaven again.”
