WIDNES Vikings are braced for the physicality that Wigan will throw at them in Friday night’s Super League clash at the DW Stadium.

Buoyed by last Sunday’s win over champions Leeds, Vikings will go travel in good spirits against a Wigan side who will be keen to bounce back after their post-Australia loss to Warrington.

Vikings have a good record at Wigan in recent years, winning their twice in the 2016 campaign.

Vikings boss Denis Betts said: “Friday night is a massive game for us.

“You know that Wigan are a side that you know are going to be tough and be ferocious without the ball.

“We understand that they are going come after us physically.”

Vikings are in a good place at the moment, with two wins from four and slipping to the defeats through one score on each occasion.

It is the consistency of performance that has pleased Betts so far

“To get a couple of wins in that first month puts us in a good space, but they have been good performances too, losing by a point a Castleford and one try against Warrington,” he said.

“We have a lot more resilience about us and we took our points when we needed to.

“We have defended really well, our energy levels are good and we have won more collisions than we have for the past six years.”

There were some pleasing individual displays, with full back Rhys Hanbury impressing making four clean breaks and being sound in defence.

Betts said: “Rhys made 225 metres with 16 carries. It was Rhys of old in a lot of ways, punching holes on the edge of the ruck catching tired forwards out.

“Overall his game was really solid.

“I have been pleased with his defensive efforts this year.

“He has put himself in the and his communication has gone up another notch.

“It is making our shape much better defensively.”

Krisnan Inu capped a fine game with two tries to consolidate his fine start in the black and white since switching from Catalans.

Betts said the powerful centre has good attributes which will benefit the team this year.

“For a big man he’s very athletic. His short kicking game is a threat and and anything in the air he can catch because he leaves the ground really well.

“He has a good passing game too, so Stef Marsh will benefit from his ability to create space and pass a ball,” Betts said.

He also praised the growing impact of Papua New Guinea international Wellington Albert’s offload game.

His pass set up the first try for Joe Mellor.

We have an offload game in the team - Krisnan Inu, Hep Cahill, Greg Burke when he plays, but Wellington has got that natural ability to get his arm free. Defence has to put a lot of men on him but he can still get the ball away.

It is about harnessing that and doing what is most beneficial for the team.

At the moment he is making some good selections.