WIDNES Vikings face a massive bank holiday weekend with Friday night’s trip to league leaders Castleford backed up by the visit of high-flying Leeds Rhinos on Monday (3pm).

It will be a tall order for the patched up Vikings, who will be without on-loan Rangi Chase for the game against his parent club.

It means that they will once again be mixing and matching the halves with Friday’s partnership coming from Jordan Johnstone and fellow nines Lloyd White and Heremaia.

Cas are running hot, particularly at home where they are averaging 50 plus points at home in league and cup.

Vikings boss Denis Betts said: “It is a massive challenge for us.

“We can’t go to Castleford and just lie down and expect it to be ok.

“We have to play with some determination.

“Cas by far the best team in the comp. They have confidence running through the place. If any team gets near them this year it will be through injury or a real drop of form.”

He highlighted the potency on the left edge where internationals Michael Shenton and Luke Gale, with Greg Eden at the end of it and Zak Hardaker running out the back, are wreaking havoc.

Betts also singled out a former Widnes loanee for special praise.

“If you look at form one player who must be getting close to England recognition is Paul McShane. He is playing out of his skin,” Betts said.

But it is his own team that he is reflecting on after another defeat at Magic.

“We are just killing ourselves - 18 points from dropped balls and intercepts.

“You can’t afford to give sides points from errors and we are making too many fundamental errors,” he said.

Some of those errors came from new boy Chase who tried to make an impression on the big stage.

Betts said: “Rangi went out to be the star of the show and just tried too hard.

“He put one on the floor and threw and intercept pass; he was trying things to get us going.

“He was disappointed with his own performance because he wanted to play well and did not think he’d contributed.

“But he had only had two hours with us.

“There is a lack of confidence and a lack of understanding in the group because we have not been able to grow any partnerships.”