Widnes wary of threats from old boy playmaker
WIDNES will be keeping close tabs on former skipper Kevin Brown when Warrington visit the Select Security Stadium tomorrow night.
Brown left the Vikings under somewhat controversial circumstances at the beginning of last season to join their archrivals. And although the 33 year-old playmaker didn’t have a vintage year with his new club, he seemed to bring his best for games against Widnes.
He scored a hat-trick of tries in the Wolves’ 34-20 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup win over the Vikings back in May and was again amongst the scorers when Widnes visited the Halliwell Jones Stadium in the last round of the regular Betfred Super League season.
Brown almost seemed to revel in the barracking he received from Widnes fans and he can expect more of the same this time around.
When it was put to Vikings head coach Denis Betts it might be better for his team if the fans got off Brown’s back, he was quick to respond.
“No, we’ve got to boo him; he doesn’t play for us anymore!” Betts quipped.
On a more serious note Betts, who also worked with Brown as part of his assistant coaching role with England during the recent Rugby League World Cup in Australia, still sees qualities in the 33 year-old his side need to be wary of.
He added: “Kev’s a quality player. He’s just played in a World Cup final and he’s ticked a few other boxes over his career.
“He likes to come here and prove to the fans he left behind he’s a good player.
“I’m sure Kev wants to step up against some old mates and prove he’s still the player he was when he was here.”
Brown will not be the only player trying to put the skids under former colleagues.
Second-rower Jack Hughes who previously enjoyed a loan spell with Widnes in is also likely to feature for Warrington.
Meanwhile, in the Widnes camp, second-row forward Sam Wilde has been named in Betts’s 19-man squad having joined the Vikings from the Wolves in the off-season.
In addition, stand-off Joe Mellor and dummy-half Danny Walker will be relishing facing their hometown club.
Tomorrow’s game kicks-off at 7.35pm. ●
Sunday, February 15, 1981 IN a one-sided encounter, Eddie Cunningham became the first Widnes player to score five tries in a match as Doncaster were eclipsed 50-0 in the Challenge Cup.
In the first half, Cunningham scored in the 12th, 15th, 25th and 28th minutes with Mike O’Neill adding another try before the break to make the score 21-0 with three goals from Mick Burke.
After the break Stuart Wright joined in the fun with a hat-trick, with John Myler and Keith Bentley also crossing and Cunningham adding his fifth try. Burke’s conversion of Bentley’s try gave him five goals for the afternoon and earned the club £555 from sponsors Three Fives, while Cunningham’s efforts also made the club richer by £5,550. ● WIDNES VIKINGS: On This Day is available now at £9.99 from the Vikings Superstore. ● ● CASTLEFORD TIGERS .............. 13 WIDNES VIKINGS ...................... 12
WIDNES came away from Castleford on Sunday without any league points but with their heads held high.
The final scoreline of 13-12 in the Tigers’ favour tells you plenty about the competitive nature of the contest at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.
What it does not tell you is the Vikings had a couple of late attempts to snatch a draw with an equalising drop-goal and but for a tough call here and there they might have taken both points.
Widnes boss Denis Betts was