Jamie Rooney display pleases Whitehaven boss Don Gailer

Whitehaven head coach Don Gailer has said Jamie Rooney won the battle of the sixes with Paul Cooke in Sunday's 25-18 win against Doncaster.

The 32-year-old former Wakefield scrum-half moved Haven around the park with the boot to guide Gailer's side to a vital win in the race for promotion.

"It was going to be a big battle between the two scrum-halves," Gailer told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"But Rooney is something else and he's really lifting in the big matches."

Rooney, a mid-season acquisition from South Wales, kicked five points for the Marras, while Carl Sice [two], Richard Varkulis and Jessie Joe Parker were on the mark with tries.

Parker, 27, was another of Gailer's signings this term and impressed in a centre role against the already promoted Dons.

"Anyone that doubted getting Jessie-Joe Parker here has to eat their words after the last two weeks," Gailer added.

"Today he was simply outstanding, with a lot of good players around him he was the player of the game, he was sensational.

"That's singling out two players out of 17, they all did a great job."