Vikings chief relishes clash with Raiders Widnes’ campaign kicks off with Cup tie in Wales
SIMON Finnigan finally gets to see his Widnes Vikings side in action on Sunday when they make the long journey to Llanelli for the opening round of this season’s Challenge Cup.
Finnigan, who took charge of Vikings in November last year, oversees his first competitive game for the club as the Vikings take on West Wales Raiders.
It ends a long wait among fans, players and club staff for the return of rugby league and Finnigan said the weekend’s clash couldn’t come soon enough.
“It has been a long time since I have stood on a sidelines and watched my team play,” he said. “I am really excited, and it can’t come quick enough. It will offer quite a unique challenge.
“The travel element will be difficult. Early morning, we gotta get to the other side of the country which can always be a challenge.”
The opposition will be something of an unknown quantity – though Finnigan feels their investment over the last few months suggests they could be one of League 1’s stronger teams.
“West Wales are clearly ambitious and spent a lot of money this season,” he said. “It was their choice to enter the Challenge Cup and it’s going to be a difficult task. Overall, I am excited, and I can’t wait to watch a live game.”
Last season, when League 1 was declared null and void in its infancy due the pandemic, West Wales were bottom of the division.
Finnigan will not read too much into that, however.
“League 1 is a really tough one league,” he said. “I’m not sure if they are ready for promotion but they are trying to get themselves up the ladder with the signings they have been making.
“The ambition they are showing is clear they don’t want to be at the bottom of the table. If that can happen immediately, time will tell, but they certainly are trying to change the perspective of where they are viewed.
“It will be interesting to see how that plays out over the course of the season.”
Former Wales rugby union poster boy Gavin Henson made the switch to league last September when he signed for the Raiders and coach Aaron Wood confirmed he would make his debut against Vikings on Sunday.
Regardless how the opposition line up, Finnigan is expecting a test, even if his side go into the game as firm favourites.
“Any team is a risk,” he said. “It is how you perform on the day. We are favourites, we can’t dispute that, but there is a huge unknown at the moment.
“No one has played a game of Rugby in over a year. I have a good idea on how our prep has gone and coaches will say the same. But no one really knows how that will pan out over the first few games because everyone has been away for so long. It will take time to adapt.
“Hopefully, the players will adapt quickly and I’m sure they will. It will be a tough challenge either way.”
The Cup will have a different feel due to the impact of Covid-19 with only 13 Championship teams and three League 1 sides contesting the early stages. French side Toulouse opted not to participate in this season’s competition while Super League clubs will enter at the third-round stage.
Vikings’ game against West Wales will be broadcasted live via BBC iPlayer and BBc Sport digital platforms on Sunday 21st March, kick off at 12.45pm.