Stokes' Haven side have lost their last 11 games to slip into trouble

Whitehaven coach Ged Stokes has said he will not quit, despite his side slipping to an 11th straight defeat.

Haven's 66-16 loss at Halifax on Sunday leaves the club in the Championship relegation places, four points adrift of Dewsbury with four games to play.

"I believe I've got a lot to offer," Stokes told BBC Radio Cumbria. "I've never walked away from a challenge."

Fears for the future of rugby league in Whitehaven have grown, with poor form on the field and budget cuts off it.

However Stokes is confident, with the assurance of the board, that the club can survive regardless of their league status next season.

"It's important for Whitehaven as a town, and for Cumbria, to have Whitehaven represented in the national competition," he said.

"From what I know, we would be in a good position whether the club stays in the Championship or goes into Championship One.

"That's down to the next four games, but we've got to be realistic and say that we've got to live within our means.

"We've got to ensure that the succession plan that we've put in place over the last 10 years, in terms of the scholarship players, can sustain the club over the long term."

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