By Martin Morgan

Published at 15:56, Wednesday, 18 November 2009

WHITEHAVEN have signed promising teenager Mark Watson on a two-year pro deal.

top young prospect: Mark Watson signs on the dotted line, under the watchful eye of Haven coach Ged Stokes

The 17-year-old was a stand-out performer for the club’s reserve-grade last term and it’s believed he has every chance of stepping up to senior level.

Head of performance Gary Hewer said: “In my view you can’t have enough half-back/hookers who can offer a different dimension.

“We believe we have a good calibre player who can flourish in the professional environment.

“Mark has a fantastic attitude, with great support from his parents, and he knows that he’s got a lot of hard work ahead of him.

“The signing came through our talent identification panel, overseen by Ged Stokes, who has seen him a few times this year and believes he’s a good asset who has the X-Factor.

“Mark was an ever-present in last year’s reserve-grade team and had a successful campaign with West Cumbria Under-18s. He’ll hopefully continue to play there until the end of the year.”

Haven general manager Nigel Beaty coached Watson for Cumbria RU Under-18s and reckons the club have signed a fine prospect.

“He’s been successful at rugby league and rugby union,” said Beaty. “At RU he was a very lively, combative scrum-half, but RL was his first love and that was his aim.”

Stokes is confident the club are recruiting the best of local junior talent.

BARLA Great Britain prop Richard Farrer, from Egremont Rangers, and Distington’s GB Community Lions Under-18 scrum-half Scott George are among other recruits for next year.

“I feel we are signing the best local amateur players. We haven’t missed too many,” Stokes added.

“Some may not yet have made a name for themselves, but they will go through our systems and will be household names in two or three years. It’s exciting times.

“If we can run with 95 per cent of our players from Whit-ehaven and the local area, it will give us a march on clubs who have to bring in players from outside the county.”

Beaty and officials Paul Goodwin and Bernadette Amor are spending two days in Leeds this week as guests of the Rhinos, to learn more about their off-field systems.

The paperwork for Leeds’ signing Kyle Amor’s dual registration will be completed, enabling him to turn out for Haven when not required for the Rhinos first-team.

He will be given a notional value by the RFL which will be set against Haven’s salary cap every time he plays for them, though, of course, in reality they will not have to fork out the cash.

“It could be up to £1,000 a game,” said Beaty.

Prop Soni Radovanovic has signed his first 12-month contract with the club.

The 21-year-old joined Haven mid-way through last season and the club plan to keep him busy next term, on and off the field.

“Soni has raw ability, as he proved last season, and coach Ged Stokes has backed him to kick on,” said Hewer.

“I was involved with the Serbian national team this year, and Soni was outstanding, regardless of results.

“I’m sure with a full off-season he will play first-team football next year. He has to develop further but he’s come a long way.

“We’ve linked him up with a local family that will give him a support package. Soni will also feature in community development work and we’ll put him through a basic coaching programme.”

The JJ McKeown bar’s extensive revamp will be completed before Christmas. The function room will be expanded, with a new bar area, seats and carpets, and repairs to the roof and an external wall.

“We will be expecting increased revenue from it,” added Beaty.

Last week’s Pride of Five £100 winners were: C Crewdson, Westmorland Road, Whitehaven, with ticket number 2,830; T Newton, Coronation Drive, Frizington, 1,226; A Turnbull, Red Lonning, Whitehaven, 3,192; M Nicholson, Newtown, Frizington, 1,975; K Kennedy, Fell View Avenue, Whitehaven, 3,427.

Published by http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk