Carl Forster made no excuses but still believes he has the ingredients for success after Whitehaven got their new campaign off to a dreadful start at Keighley.

Whitehaven's new boss, in his first game in full charge, was forced to watch an error strewn opening pre-season friendly defeat in which the Cougars, tipped alongside the West Cumbrians as promotion candidates, ran in eight tries without conceding a point.

After the 42-0 loss, Forster was forced to admit: “It was shocking."

He added: “We prepared well and trained well - I can’t fault the lads' attitude in pre-season but everything we worked on - both sides’ strengths and weaknesses - we just didn’t do.”

The Cougars had the benefit of one previous game - an 82-12 victory over amateur side Hunslet Warriors - and made a flying start, scoring four tries to lead 20-0. But Forster explained it as it was.

“It was panic stations from minute one,” he continued.

“A few decisions didn’t go our way and we reacted badly.

“It was shocking - just one of those games you just want to get out of the way.”

Forster refused to apportion blame on the soft and slippery conditions.

“We completed at only 27 per cent in the first half and you can play any team in any league and you’ll never win at that percentage," he said.

“It was all our fault - we can’t blame conditions or the referee or anyone - only ourselves.

“I watched Keighley last week and they were good, albeit there wasn’t too much opposition.

“But we didn’t give them much opposition today!

“This won’t knock us back because we know how good we can be.

“It was our first hit-out and we had seven or eight new lads in the starting line-up.

“It will come but it’s up to us to make sure that it doesn’t take too many games.”

Whitehaven have another tough encounter at fellow Cumbrians Barrow next weekend, with additional ‘friendlies’ at Newcastle and Workington before they take on their near neighbours from Derwent Park again in the opening round of the League One Cup in mid-February.