Whitehaven coach Ged Stokes backs club chiefs

Kiwi Stokes has coached Whitehaven since 2008

Whitehaven coach Ged Stokes has expressed his support for the club's board despite the prospect of relegation to Championship One.

Sunday's 48-0 home defeat by Featherstone all but assured Haven's fate but Stokes has retained faith in the running of the club.

"As far as I know the board have confidence in me as I do in the board," Stokes told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"They've done some fantastic things just to keep the club afloat."

Financial troubles have taken their toll on Stokes's playing staff budget, meaning departed former academy talents such as Gregg McNally and Kyle Amor have not been replaced on a permanent basis.

This season's slump in form has brought pressure on Stokes from supporters, including open criticism of the Kiwi after Sunday's drubbing.

But is adamant he will remain in the post, regardless of the club's fate.

"I'm employed by this club and that's the way it'll be," Stokes said.

"I've had two good seasons and one bad one, so I'm ahead of the game in terms of how the seasons have gone.

"It was just some fans expressing themselves the way I do.

"Someone told me I shouldn't be coaching from the dugouts, but I don't know where I should be coaching apart from in the dugouts.

"I don't answer mediocre or stupid questions like that."

With relegation looming, Stokes' concerns are beginning to shift to next season and attempts to return to the Championship at the first attempt.

However, the former Workington coach admitted much depends on the futures of the players and whether they can be persuaded to back the club's promotion bid next term.

"We've looked at all the possibilities of what we do next year, whether we go down or stay up," Stokes added.

"One of the things we have discussed is that to rebuild the side again and come up again you have to work hard, it's a hard division.

"We'll have a few retirements, but there are a number of players that we can rebuild the side around that we must retain.

"Whether or not those players want to stay here is another thing, we'll have to negotiate with them, but I'd like to think there's enough loyalty within the team of Whitehaven players that will get us through this time.

"The players for the last three years have taken pay cuts and they've all accepted that and got on with the job."