Prop’s ‘cannonball tackle’ is punished with suspension
WIDNES VIKINGS will be without prop forward Wellington Albert for the next two games after he picked up a ban this week.
The Papua New Guinea international was sent-off in last Friday’s 28-16 home loss to Huddersfield Giants for a ‘cannonball tackle’.
Albert had only been on the field for a few minutes before he was dismissed by referee Ben Thaler.
The ban will come as a blow to Vikings head coach Denis Betts who feels Albert was harshly treated.
Speaking before the ban was announced, Betts said: “It’s not a sending-off at all.
“I think there was an over-reaction from everybody.
“It’s a poor state when the referee runs in as well as everybody else! You know you’re on a loser straightaway.
“I’ve edited the game down and there are two other instances in the game with a couple of Huddersfield players doing exactly the same thing but we just get on with it. It’s just a tackle.
“The inconsistency on some of the stuff is what’s most disappointing.”
Meanwhile, Wellington Albert’s brother Stanton Albert had his first run out of the season when he appeared for the Vikings partner club North Wales Crusaders at the weekend.
He was joined in the North Wales team by Vikings youngster Brad Walker with both men appearing off the bench in the 26-10 defeat at Hunslet.
Betts added: “Brad Walker was good as you’d expect and Stanton did a couple of good things.
“It was a boggy pitch but he had some really dynamic carries and did a couple of good things defensively. “He just needs to play regularly now.” In terms of competition for places, Stanton Albert may have moved up a couple of places in the prop-forward queue this week with his brother’s suspension and the news that Jay Chapelhow broke his thumb in the Huddersfield game and is likely to spend an extended period on the sidelines.
Experienced Kiwi forward Hep Cahill is back in contention for Widnes’s trip to Wakefield Trinity on Saturday evening after recovering from a bout of tonsillitis. ●
Wednesday, March 15, 1989 FIVE-TRY Martin Offiah destroyed Warrington as Widnes triumphed 32-4 to leave their opponents on the brink of relegation.
In their first attack, Chemics’ full-back Alan Tait crossed after David Hulme had made the initial inroads with Andy Currier adding the first of four goals. Offiah then scored a typical 50-yard interception try before his second gave Widnes a 16-0 lead at the break.
An outclassed Warrington replied with a Paul Cullen-inspired try for Dave Lyon before Offiah completed the rout with three tries in 10 minutes. ● WIDNES VIKINGS: On This Day is available now at £9.99 from the Vikings Superstore. ● ● WIDNES VIKINGS ...................... 16 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS ......... 28
WIDNES had Papua New Guinea international Wellington Albert dismissed as they went down 28-12 to Huddersfield Giants at the Select Security Stadium last Friday evening.
The prop forward got his marching orders from referee Ben Thaler for an alleged ‘cannonball tackle’ on Giants winger Jermaine McGillvary having only emerged from the substitutes’ bench a few minutes earlier.
However, the Vikings could hardly claim it had much effect on the final result. They were losing 20-0 at the time and actually played their brightest football whilst down to 12 men.
On a night of constant rain, the left foot kicking game of veteran Huddersfield playmaker Danny Brough was a key factor together along with Widnes’s inability to sustain pressure on the opposition line, especially in a lacklustre first half.
Disappointed Vikings’ head coach Denis Betts commented: “The seeds were sown in the first 20 minutes really.
“We couldn’t keep hold of the ball and just failed to complete enough sets. We came out of the first half with a 40 per cent completion rate and 14 points down.
“They didn’t really look like breaking us down but they scored from two kicks we failed to deal with in terrible conditions.
“If we’d have kept hold of some ball and found some field-position the game could have looked a bit different in the first half but it just wasn’t to be.
“This was probably the most disappointing feeling we’ve had as a group.
“I just thought we mismanaged ourselves today. We failed to capitalise on the fact we were at home and we should have built some pressure by just being a little bit dull.
“I think we’ve got a couple of good kickers in our side too, but when you’re always kicking from your own half because you can’t get any field-position because you keep dropping the ball, then you can’t ask any questions with your kicking game.
“Morale is good but we’ve got to dust ourselves down.
“We’re disappointed with ourselves and we’ve got to go again to get ourselves back on track.”
Widnes made five changes to the side that lost 32-16 at Wigan seven days earlier.
Back row forwards Chris Houston and Chris Dean returned after suspension and injury respectively and prop Jay Chapelhow was also back in harness in the pack.
In-form centre Krisnan Inu was back after illness and hooker Jordan Johnstone was named in the XVII following a month’s loan