Widnes stars miss out in the Dream Team

CHALLENGE Cup winners Hull FC and runners-up Warrington boast 10 of the 13 players in the 2016 First Utility Super League Dream Team – but there is no place for any Widnes Vikings stars.

The Airlie Birds have six representatives, including Man of Steel candidates Gareth Ellis and Danny Houghton, while the Wolves have four.

Wigan and Castleford are the only other clubs with players in the annual line-up, which is selected by a panel of the sport’s broadcasters and journalists.

Veteran loose-forward Ellis is included for the fifth time but his first selection since 2008 when he was with Leeds, while there are no fewer than nine debutants, including Castleford’s record-breaking winger Denny Solomona, the other player on the Man of Steel shortlist.

The selection of Warrington second-rower Ben Currie and Wigan winger Dom Manfredi will cushion their disappointment of suffering season-ending injuries, which ruled them out of England contention as well as a chance of glory with their clubs.

Castleford scrum-half Luke Gale is the only player to retain his place from 2015. ● The 2016 First Utility Super League Dream Team: Jamie Shaul (Hull); Denny Solomona (Castleford), Ryan Atkins (Warrington), Mahe Fonua (Hull), Dom Manfredi (Wigan); Kurt Gidley (Warrington), Luke Gale (Castleford); Chris Hill (Warrington), Danny Houghton (Hull), Scott Taylor (Hull), Ben Currie (Warrington), Mark Minichiello (Hull), Gareth Ellis (Hull).