Last updated 21:25, Wednesday, 16 July 2008

WHITEHAVEN ironman Gary Broadbent has smashed the long-standing record for the most consecutive appearances in the club’s 60-year history – and shows no signs of slowing down.

Gary Broadbent

The full-back has played in 75 consecutive matches, not missing a game since April, 2006.

He has taken the record from Kiwi prop David Fatialofa, who played 72 in a row from his debut in June 1996 until late 1998.

Broadbent broke the record in the home win over Featherstone last month. It went unnoticed at the time but has now been unearthed by the club’s unofficial historian Brian Sharples.

The skipper will lead Haven in to battle at Sheffield on Friday night, with another tough trip to Bridgend to face Celtic the following weekend.

Haven then host title-chasing Halifax before travelling to bottom club Dewsbury, and Broadbent reckons they are entering the most crucial stage of the season.

He said: “The next four games will dictate if we make a realistic push for the play-offs.

“Crusaders are a pretty dominant force on their own pitch. When we played them last time, they hadn’t been up here before and didn’t know what to expect.

“It will be the same for us down there. It’s going to be difficult to get anything down there.

“We’ll go there as underdogs with nothing to lose. It’s the same at Sheffield. But if we play well, there’s nothing to say we can’t come away with a win.

“It’s been a difficult season. If we had got off to a better start we’d be sitting pretty. We have had injuries but you can’t hide behind that. That’s rugby and we have to get on with it.

“Widnes and Leigh are still around us in the table. The league’s got stronger every year from 2004 and 2005. Halifax were in the play-offs at the bottom to stay in the division in 2004. It just goes to show.

“Some people take it for granted that Whitehaven should be up there.”