THE Cumbrian side were saved by the bell last season, narrowly avoiding relegation in a tightly-contested, survival-of-the-fittest battle at the bottom of the Championship.
Looking at their squad there is a wealth of international flair across the park, with Lachlan Hanneghan, Joey Romeo and Owen McGarron all having joined the squad from Australia, while Papua New Guinea international Edene Gebbie takes the number-one shirt with Italian trio Jake Maizen, Joey Romeo and Ryan King also arriving.
They are capable of wins over Swinton and Barrow in the first two rounds, however the big test will come when they face off against Sheffield in round three.
This side certainly has promise and could cause one or two upsets against the top sides throughout the year, but they will need to string together some early wins to persuade fans they can be a threat this season.
Watch out for… AUSTRALIAN scrum-half Lachlan Hanneghan has made the move over on a one-year deal after finishing last season with Central Coast side Wyong Roos. The 24-year-old has been handed the pivotal number-seven jersey and could prove to be the key to unlocking this Whitehaven attack.
2024 squad: 1 Edene Gebbie, 2 Jake Maizen, 3 Joey Romeo, 4 Will Evans, 5 Curtis Teare, 6 Jamie Doran, 7 Lachlan Hanneghan, 8 Lucas Castle, 9 Callum Phillips, 10 Guy Graham, 11 Ryan King, 12 Connor Holliday, 13 Dion Aiye, 14 Jake Carter, 15 James Newton, 17 Ross Ainley, 18 Perry Singleton, 19 Marcus O’Brien, 20 Owen McCarron, 21 Rio Corkill, 22 Oscar Doran, 23 Evan Lawther, – Dalton Desmond-Walker.
Rugby League World predicts: 13th
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 494 (March 2024)
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