Whitehaven interim coach Kyle Amor is ready to blood a promising local player in the final game of the season on Sunday against Halifax.
Amor and his assistant Scott McAvoy are big fans of Hensingham’s Jack Kellett and he joins the squad for the game at the Ortus Rec.
Kellett is the Hensingham captain and plays half-back for club coach Kris Coward, but is likely to be used at loose forward when he’s on the field for Whitehaven.
Amor said: “He’s a tough kid who is keen to try out at Championship level and I’m happy to give him a shot at it. I know Scott and myself might be biased with our Hensingham connections but we think he’s got a fair bit of potential.
“It also sends out a message to players in West Cumbria. ‘Hey I’ve played against Jack and there’s no reason why I can’t give it a go.’
“We’ve had a tough six weeks but we’ve got there in the end. The main task was to complete the season, which we have done but unfortunately couldn’t stay in the Championship.
“I do think that might not be a bad thing. It gives the club time to reset in League One for a few years and when they are in the black and out of the red there should be the opportunity to have a serious go at getting back into the Championship.
“Being a full time coach was never on my agenda. I just answered an SOS to help my hometown club survive and there was a real concern that we might not get to the end of the season with no players and no staff.
“We have got there and I want the players to go out and enjoy themselves, play for each other with the togetherness they’ve shown, and I hope the Whitehaven people come out in force to show their appreciation for what this group has achieved.”
Also in the squad for Sunday for the first time are McKenzie Buckley from St Helens and Oliver Smart from Leeds.
A prop forward when he joined from Thatto Heath, Buckley has since moved into the back row and some eye-catching performances for the Reserves and Academy sides in 2022 saw him rewarded with a debut. He played 12 times for the Academy in 2022, scoring five tries with his hard running from the back row.
As well as making four appearances for the Reserves he made his first team debut for the first team in 2022 under former Coach Kristian Woolf.
In 2023 he was part of our Reserves side that made it to the Reserves Grand Final and he has also spent time on loan with North Wales Crusaders.
Smart, a centre or second row forward, is a Scottish Under-18s international and has been making progress through the Leeds Academy.
Amor will have the luxury of an 18-man squad to choose from and take on Halifax.
The Whitehaven squad is: Sam Ackroyd, McKenzie Buckley, Jake Carter, Lucas Castle, Rio Corkill, Will Evans, Edene Gebbie, Lachlan Hanneghan, Bobby Hartley, Jack Kellett, Noah High, Ryan King, James Newton, Joey Romeo, Callum Shaw, Oliver Smart, Curtis Teare, Huw Worthington.
