Last updated 11:42, Friday, 04 July 2008

GIVEN Whitehaven and Workington Town’s struggles in ‘midweek’ matches on the road, I’d be happy for Sunday service to be the norm for the West Cumbrian clubs.

On the run: Dons’ Shaun Leaf on the attack against Town last Friday. Workington lost their night clash 40-2

Town were heavily beaten 40-2 at Doncaster last Friday night. Next Friday, Haven also travel to south Yorkshire to take on Sheffield.

For part-time National League clubs, it’s time to scrap the option of playing home games on Friday nights.

Or at the very least, give the West Cumbrian clubs special dispensation not to be forced in to travel on any day outside Saturday or Sunday, for non-televised games.

If Leigh are facing Widnes on a Friday, or Swinton host Rochdale, it might be an inconvenience for the travelling club, but not a huge ask.

For the West Cumbrians, it’s a much bigger deal. Players must arrange shift swaps or take time off work. They are more likely to be left out of pocket.

It’s not fair on rugby players for whom the sport is not their main source of income. They sacrifice enough for the game without this added problem.

Then there are the practical issues. Haven did not want to appear bad losers by moaning last season when beaten at Sheffield on a Thursday night.

But the 26-14 defeat, in their final game of the regular season, had a massive bearing on their campaign.

Three days later Halifax hammered Doncaster to pip Haven at the post, on points difference, for a third-place finish in NL1.

This gifted Fax a home tie against the Cumbrians in round two of the play-offs, and they went on to win 32-24.

Haven had been out on their feet at Sheffield. Not surprising really as the game came only four days after a titanic struggle against Widnes at the Recre, which the hosts lost 22-18.

The Eagles clash had been due to be played on the Friday night but was brought forward to be shown live on Sky Sports.

Top games in the play-offs will be broadcast live again this year, and it’s a waste of time asking Sky to switch their schedules.

But for matches away from the cameras, our local teams should not be forced in to travelling for Thursday or Friday night fixtures.

In League One, Salford and Sheffield play home games on Fridays. Barrow and Doncaster follow suit in NL2.

It’s a trend I hope, for Town and Haven’s sake, does not catch on.

JUST as well I don’t report on Harlequins. It’s unlikely I’d be swapping Christmas cards with coach Brian McDermott.

His terse answers in the post-match press conference after last week’s defeat at Wigan were repeated in the RL press this week. Not that he gave too much away.

Unlike at times in the ultra-competitive and much larger football world, RL journalists are generally not out to hammer coaches in their columns.

In my experience, they tend to be enthusiasts with the good of the game at heart. So to see McDermott’s limited responses to standard questions feature in the national RL press, suggests he is hard work. And it’s not the first time it has happened, either.

On the field, he appears to be doing a sound job, with the London club strong Super League play-off contenders.

But with so much competition for space on the sports pages, he owes it to rugby league fans to open a up a little.

MARTIN MORGAN