WIDNES will be keen to avenge their early season 22-8 loss at the KC Stadium when Hull FC come to town on Thursday.

A hat-trick of tries from Airlie Birds winger Tom Lineham, two of them long-range interceptions, proved crucial on the night and if anything Lee Radford’s men have improved since then.

Hull comfortably disposed of their cross-city rivals 46-20 at the weekend and Denis Betts is fully aware of the threats they pose.

He said: “Hull have got Gareth Ellis back, Minichiello’s playing well, Sneyd’s back in the team and Pryce is finding his feet again.

“So all of a sudden you’ve got a team that’s really starting to find itself after having a lot of injuries at the start of the year.

“Every game counts at the moment which I think is what the RFL wanted.

“I’m still not an advocate of the return to promotion and relegation but by going to a 12-team competition we’ve created a really good first phase.

“How it goes after that we can’t tell until it happens. But at the moment everybody’s fighting tooth and nail to stay in that mix.”

Centre Cameron Phelps picked up a pectoral injury late in the Salford game which will keep him out of tomorrow’s line-up leaving Betts with a selection headache in the threequarters.

Chris Dean, Paddy Flynn and Declan Hulme are all currently sidelined so teenage Academy prospect Oliver Ashall could be in line for a first team debut.

In-form winger Patrick Ah Van will be looking to celebrate his new one-year contract with another fine performance after notching a brace against the Red Devils.

Phelps apart, the rest of the Vikings squad came through the Magic Weekend unscathed.

Widnes: (from) Ah Van, Ashall, Brown, Clarkson, Dudson, Galea, Gerrard, Gore, Hanbury, Heremaia, Isa, Joseph, Leuluai, Manuokafoa, Marsh, Mellor, Owens, White, Whitley.