It’s been a tortuous week for Whitehaven, after opening up about their latest financial crisis.
A crushing defeat at Bradford Bulls was somehow in keeping with what had gone on earlier in the week.
There are those who say Haven’s only chance is to take relegation on the chin and regroup in League One.
This defeat keeps them deep in the relegation mire and games starting to run out.
The next two games are critical – firstly the home game with Doncaster when they are looking for a four-figure gate to boost finances and then a trip to bottom-of-the-table Dewsbury.
They were grateful for Bradford organising a bucket collection to aid their cause, but not so pleased that they had piled on 58 points without reply.
Whitehaven only had 16 available players on the day and they will have some sore bodies as a result.
They were 34-0 down at half-time, conceded two more tries at the start of the second-half, but then enjoyed their best spell of the game.
For a good ten minutes they had the Bulls on the back foot but just could not get over for a score.
The Bulls got themselves back in control and finished the game with 10 tries and nine of them converted.
The Bradford tries came from man of the match Appo (2), Makin (2), Okunbor, Sammut, Doro, Myers, Pele and Taufua. Lilley converted nine.
