BETTS ON HELL OF FIGHTING THE DROP

RUGBY LEAGUE

STEVE BACKLEY has warned that home athletes will struggle to win more than four medals in London as global athletics is “brutally tough”.

Not since 2005 have Great Britain and Northern Ireland failed to reach that total in the World Athletics Championships – and home advantage will increase expectation. British javelin legend Backley said: “We’ll look to Mo Farah (below) and Laura Muir and then some new faces, but when you’re having to use the word ‘potential’, you have to worry.

“With Jess Ennis-Hill finishing and Greg Rutherford injured, that only leaves Mo – and this is his last champs. “We have had three global champions for some time and that has been wonderful, but we have never had the strength in depth of a nation such as the Americans.” Backley added: “Athletics is brutally tough at global level.

“Look at the recent Lions rugby tour of New Zealand. That was four nations playing against one.

“But this is 205 countries coming together.

“There’s no other sport where you’ve got to beat everyone.” DENIS BETTS is ready for an “anxiety-filled two months” in the Qualifiers – and knows people will be waiting for his Widnes Vikings side to fail.

The Vikings finished bottom in the regular Super League season, and now face four Championship clubs striving for promotion, alongside Warrington, Catalans and Leigh.

The top three in the eight-team competition secure top-flight places, with fourth and fifth playing off for the final spot in the Million Pound Game. Widnes kick their campaign off against Warrington on Friday, having survived the same scenario in 2015.

Coach Betts (above) said: “It’s a very bizarre situation for any player to be in.

“Even though some Championship sides are part-time, they’ve got three or four games that are the games of their lives.

“We’re trying to protect something and they’re trying to gain something – it’s a different mindset.

“It’s going to be an exciting, tough, anxiety-filled two months.”