Whitehaven ace Craig Calvert has eye on try-scoring record

Published at 11:28, Friday, 02 March 2012

Winger Craig Calvert is on course to become Whitehaven’s all-time record try scorer after smashing through the 150 barrier.

Craig Calvert

The flyer, runner-up to St Helens’ Aussie star Darren Albert in RL’s Fastest Man race in 2004, made it 152 tries in only 199 games with a well-taken hat-trick in the win over Gateshead Thunder in Haven’s last home game.

And he is firmly on track to take club favourite David Seeds’ record of 225 tries.

After 199 games of his illustrious career, Seeds had crossed 116 times, though the former classy centre also created many more tries for his wing partners, including Calvert. And having just turned 28, Calvert has time on his side as he closes in on Seeds’ record.

“Craig’s looking good so far this year, and the record could be a goer,” said Haven historian Brian Sharples, who has facts and figures on every Haven match since the club’s launch in 1948.

“His increased strength should see him through the next few years.”

Calvert made an instant impression for Haven, scoring twice on his 2004 debut, months after the then Wath Brow youngster re-wrote the National Conference record books when plundering seven tries against Oldham side Saddleworth. He has been a first-choice at the Recre for the past eight years and has added extra power to his game over recent seasons.

Meanwhile, Barrow boss Darren Holt pledged to rotate his team at the Recre on Sunday, even though a Raiders win could see them secure a Northern Rail Cup quarter-final berth.

He is keen to give his entire squad a chance to impress before the Championship One season starts next week.

Holt said: “I’m not going to beat around the bush – our priority this year is the league, I’m not going to make any apologies for that, but the further we can go in this competition the better it is for the club.”