Neighbours Workington Town’s defeat at Halifax means Whitehaven will be in pole position to take advantage if anything happens over Sheffield’s financial insecurity.
An up-tempo second-half performance from Whitehaven saw them secure a thoroughly deserved victory after the two sides had gone in at the break locked together at 12-12.
It also meant the four-man coaching group, in charge of the side after James Coyle’s sacking, had won three of the five games, in which, they had control.
They will all look back with some satisfaction at the results and the way their team-mates have responded to their ideas, encouragement and direction.
They couldn’t have asked for a better start to the final game of the season as they went ahead after only three minutes.
Dion Aiye found Dave Allen and the second-row forward did well, making good yards before slipping the ball in the tackle to the supporting Ted Chapelhow who dived over from close range. Louis Jouffret added the conversion.
Swinton, who had made sure of their own Championship status last week with a win over Halifax, took just eight minutes to gain parity.
Whitehaven had been put under pressure from two successive sets of sixes on their own line and Luke Waterworth dived in at a play-the-ball with Ian Atkins adding the extras.
The Lions had settled well after the initial burst by Whitehaven and, on 23 minutes, they went ahead.
A lovely inside ball from McAuley Hallett was taken by Mike Butt and he went in for the try, converted by Atkins.
But Whitehaven, with two of their coaching team Allen and Carl Forster leading from the front, began to see more of the ball and put themselves in better positions.
They drew level ten minutes before the break when the ball was moved smartly along the line for Aiye to provide the final pass to Ed Chamberlain.
But the try still had to be scored in the corner as it wasn’t the best of passes, the defender was closing in rapidly and the corner flag was too close for comfort.
But the Widnes man dived in for a well-taken touchdown and Jouffret put the icing on the cake with a fine touchline conversion.
It was Whitehaven who scored first in an energetic and dominating second-half performance – and after getting themselves in front never really looked back.
The lead came from the first of a series of long-range tries on 44 minutes.
On this occasion, Swinton lost the ball inside the Whitehaven half and Ryan Ince picked-up, sliced between two of the Lions and found himself in the clear.
He has always looked pacey without having many chances to show it but this time he raced clear to score under the posts. Jouffret converted.
It looked as if Whitehaven had scored again on 47 minutes when Ant Walker got on the end of a Grant Gore grubber but the referee ruled he had been in an offside position.
There was no doubt about the score on 52 minutes which increased the Whitehaven lead. Aiye burst through from 20 metres to get the try which Jouffret converted.
Just after the hour, Gore made a smart interception 60 metres out and he went all the way before diving over under the posts and again Jouffret converted.
On 67 minutes, it was Swinton’s turn to score from distance as Atkins took an interception and went 80 metres, hotly pursued by Chis Taylor and Ince. Matty Beharrell converted.
But it was Whithaven who finished the game on top with two more tries in the last eight minutes.
Chamberlain raced 40 metres down the touchline to score his second, with Jouffret converting and then Aiye broke away from deep before drawing the last man and putting substitute Conor Holliday in for the seventh try.
Ugo Perez, the sponsors’ man of the match, took over kicking duties but was the first man not to land a conversion.
Whitehaven: Jouffret, Ince, Taylor, Parker, Chamberlain, Aiye, Gore, Walker, Carberry, Foster, Allen, Chapelhow, Perez. Subs (all used) Davies, Newton, Fox, Holliday
Tries: Chamberlain (2), Chapelhow, Ince, Aiye, Gore, Holliday. Goals: Jouffret 6
Swinton: Butt, Robinson, Littler, Hallett, Marshall, White, Atkins, Emmitt, Waterworth, Hand, Dwyer, Thornley, Lever. Subs (all used) Barlow, Beharrell, Austin, Bacek
Tries: Waterworth, Butt, Atkins. Goals: Atkins 2, Beharrell 1
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas
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