Whitehaven coach Kyle Amor has been able to name 17 players for Sunday’s tough looking assignment at Championship leaders Wakefield.
It’s the same group who were on duty last week for the home defeat by York City Knights – indeed it’s all he has until the end of the season.
Wakefield have reduced ticket prices to £10 for the fixture with all proceeds being donated to Whitehaven.
But it appears the Cumbrians are not the only Championship club in dire straights as Halifax Panthers have gone public on their financial issues.
They are £80,000 in debt with a total of more than £200,000 needed to ensure the Championship club are able to operate sustainably through to the end of the year.
In a statement they confirmed that the club had been issued with a winding up order from HMRC, with players and staff not being paid.
Interim chairman Lee Kenny said a perfect storm of sponsors going into administration and small crowds, along with a six-figure cash injection that fell through at the last moment recently, led the club to this point.
And though the squad have agreed to take to the field at home against Dewsbury Rams on Sunday the situation remains a very precarious one.
In a statement released last night, Damian Clayton MBE – Fax’s CEO – has addressed a number of questions that have been thrown the way of the club, bearing pretty much all on the situation.
Clayton said: “At present, the club’s urgent debt stands at approximately £80,000, which includes essential payments to HMRC and operational costs such as player and staff wages.
In addition to addressing this immediate debt, we estimate that a further £120,000 to £150,000 will be needed to ensure the club can operate sustainably through the end of the year.
“This will allow us to cover ongoing operational expenses and necessary investments to strengthen the club’s future.”
‘We have comprehensive plans in place to ensure Halifax Panthers remain sustainable and competitive’
Clayton went on to insist that as long as the club can overcome their current financial issues, with the help of the local community, there are longer-term plans in place to ensure a situation like this doesn’t arise again any time soon.
Halifax visit Whitehaven in the final game of the season and are currently two points better off than the Cumbrians as they prepare for the final four games of the season.
Whitehaven go to Wakefield, Barrow and Batley before they face the Panthers at the Ortus REC.
Halifax have to go to Toulouse and host Bradford before coming to Whitehaven, after they face bottom club Dewsbury on Sunday.
Whitehaven’s squad is: Sam Ackroyd, Ross Ainley, Jake Carter, Lucas Castle, Rio Corkill, Will Evans, Edene Gebbie, Lachlan Hanneghan, Ryan King, Owen McCarron, James Newton, Joey Romeo, Callum Shaw, Perry Singleton, Curtis Teare, Mac Walsh, Huw Worthington.
