By Martin Morgan

Last updated 14:40, Thursday, 10 July 2008

SKIPPER Gary Broadbent has urged Whitehaven’s teenage prodigy Gregg McNally to seize his international chance Down Under – just as he did over a decade ago.

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SIGNED and sealed: Ged Stokes signs his two-year contract. From left to right, Mike Graham (marketing director), Gordon Grace (club chairman), Stokes and Phil Clarkin (finance director)

The scrum-half plays his final match for Haven at Sheffield on Friday night before jetting out to Australia with England Under-18s next week for a tour that includes two Tests against the Australian Schoolboys.

He is the only youngster from outside a Super League club named in the 22-strong squad, though Broadbent does not expect him to be overawed.

The full-back toured New Zealand with Great Britain Academy in 1996 and soon made his mark.

“I went out there not in the Test team but the midweek squad,” Broadbent recalled. “But I played okay in a game, got on the bench for the First Test and started the Second and Third Tests.

“Hopefully Gregg can do the same. His family will be really proud of him and rightly so.

“I really enjoyed it and hopefully Gregg will go out there and do the same. I’m sure it will be a brilliant learning curve for him.

“It’s a massive opportunity for him to go over there, rubbing shoulders with kids from Wigan, Leeds, St Helens and Bradford.”

All but four of the party are based at the traditional big four top-flight outfits. Seven come from St Helens, Bradford Bulls have six in the squad, three are from Wigan and Leeds Rhinos have two. Hull, Huddersfield and Castleford have one each.

Brisbane Broncos’ Under-18s host England on July 23, in a warm-up game ahead of their Tests against the Schoolboys, breeding ground for young stars who go on to feature in the NRL.

Broadbent, meanwhile, is expected to turn out for a record 76th consecutive time at Sheffield. The full-back has played 75 in a row, not missing a game since April 2006.

He has taken the record from Kiwi prop David Fatialofa, who played 72 unbroken from his debut in June 1996 until late 1998.

Broadbent broke the record in the home win over Featherstone last month. It went unnoticed at the time but has now been unearthed by record-keeper and fan Brian Sharples, who hopes to become the club’s official historian.

Coach Ged Stokes last week signed a fresh two-year contract and is already planning for the future. He said: “We have to look at our pre-season structures, player retention and recruitment policy. Barry Richardson’s going to be working on that with me. We work very well together, and he’s said he’ll help any way he can.

“It’s an exciting time at the club, with the planned ground developments, and with the team evolving. There’s a lot of hard work ahead, there’s no doubt about it. But I’ve never been afraid of that. The club’s financial stability is picking up, and there are only good things to look forward to.”

He believes Haven should be re-established as one of NL1’s front-runners by the time his current deal expires at the end of 2010.

Stokes continued: “It would be nice to be right up at the top of NL1 - and we should be. Likening rugby league to how it works in Australia, we here are like Queensland, out in the districts.

“Over the past five or six years, Whitehaven have been right up there and really kept the flag flying. This is such a strong rugby league area. Whitehaven have been the flagship club for so long, and we want to maintain that and build on it.”

Meanwhile, Haven’s reserve-grade face a top-of-the-table clash at Leigh on Saturday, fresh from their 68-8 demolition of Hunslet Hawks.

Leroy Joe, returning from a serious arm injury, notched a hat-trick, while Marc Shackley and Steve Ormesher shared four tries. Man-of-the-match Craig Benson, Paul Lancaster, Daniel Smith, John Patrick, John Lebbon and Chris Smith also touched down. Haven, in second, trail Leigh by four points.

Manager Dave Farrell said: “Hunslet are not the best team in the league, but we certainly turned in a performance out of the top draw.

“The general feeling after the game was that we were happy with the performance but that we were still not quite up to 100 per cent.

“Leigh have played a game more than us, and if we win we’re on track for top spot as they have still to come to Whitehaven. It will be one of the crunch games of the season on Saturday.”

Spaces on the fans’ bus for Sheffield are still available. It leaves the Recre at 2pm on Friday. And on Saturday next week there is a 6am start for the long trip to Bridgend to face Celtic Crusaders. Payment for this trip must be made by next Wednesday at the latest.

For details on either trip phone Paul Goodwin on 07928 777616.

Last week’s Pride of Five £100 winners were: J Graham, Bigrigg, with ticket number 2,410; T Maudling, The Lion, Woodhouse, 2,975; M Griffin, Central Avenue, Egremont, 3,559; D Irwin, Ramsay Drive, Parton, 164; J Gainford, Snebro Road, Mirehouse, 2,966.