Today’s West Cumbrian derby will be Whitehaven forward Jordan Thomson’s 100th game as a semi-professional – but it’s going to be his last.
Thomson, who has played for both Haven and Workington Town since first leaving the community game in 2018, has been struggling with a back injury.
He has also increasing family commitments and says it’s a decision he hasn’t taken lightly, discussing it with previous coach Anthony Murray, interim coach James Newton and assistant Neil Frazer.
“I don’t want to be the kind of player who stops a youngster progressing and making an impact when I’m not fully committed. I still love the game but it is the right time to bow out.
“I’d like to thank James for giving me the opportunity to play in my 100th senior game before finishing. I have lots of great mates in both camps so it’s going to be a special farewell.
“I’d also like to think Whitehaven will stick with James as coach. I really think he is a coach for the future. He knows the game, has the experience and the right mannerisms to be a success,” he said.
Thomson is in the Whitehaven 21 for the derby clash with Town which kicked off at 1pm.
Workington Town coach Jonty Gorley knows that the first 15/20 minutes were going to be crucial for his side.
“In recent games we have been conceding too many points at the start of games and if we do that again we could find ourselves 12 to 16 points behind.
“Training has been good this week, but it has been previously and we haven’t carried it through into the games. I hope we can show what we have in training on the pitch at Whitehaven,” he says.
His squad is the same 21 who were named last week for the game at Newcastle which they lost 38-8. Whitehaven lost by a similar margin, 52-20 at North Wales Crusaders.
- Whitehaven: Bickerdike, Eccleston, Brennan, Brown, Holgate, Holliday, Kellett, Newbegin, Nixon, B. Pearce, J. Pearce, Polec, Shackley, Smith, Todd, Thomson, Walker-Taylor, Walker, Weatherill, Williamson, Woodend.
- Town: J. Ainley, R. Ainley, Carter, Castle, Corkill, Dickinson, Donaghy, J. Doran, Farrer, Galea, Lawther, Gittens-Bedward, Leigh, Lewthwaite, Phillips, Reid, Rawhiti, Scholey, Stephenson, Wear, Williams.
