Vikings name 21-man squad for Warrington Wolves (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

Vikings name 21-man squad for Warrington Wolves

11:11am Wednesday 19th December 2012 in Vikings news

Local bragging rights will be up for grabs once again on Boxing Day, when Widnes Vikings go toe-to-toe with near neighbours Warrington Wolves at the Stobart Stadium.

Having not seen their team in action since early September, the game will provide the ideal rugby league ‘fix’ for all Vikings’ members and supporters and is guaranteed to offer them some much needed entertainment over the festive period.

As we have become accustomed to in these pre-season encounters, the traditional clashes with Tony Smith's outfit are hotly contested and this season's offering promises to be no different, despite the trial game tag, according to Vikings Head Coach Denis Betts; who commented; “As any player will tell you, there is no such thing as a friendly and although neither team will be at full bore, given its derby status, I’m confident that it won’t disappoint as a spectacle.

“The squad have been back in training for almost eight weeks now, so the game will be good for us and provide us with an insight into where we are at, in regard of our pre-season preparations. The players are really looking forward to it and I’m sure the Warrington boys will be viewing it in exactly the same way.

"The Boxing Day fixture comes at an exciting time of the year. As a player it was a date I always looked forward to on the calendar and it's no different these days as a coach.”

Betts has named a 21-man squad for the 2012 Boxing Day Challenge, including two players currently on trial at the club; former Bradford Bulls hooker Phil Joseph and ex-Huddersfield Giants loose forward, Matt Sarsfield.

Vikings 21-man squad: Allen, Craven, Cahill, Davies, Dean, Flynn, Gerrard, Gilmore, Gore, Hanbury, Isa, Joseph, Kavanagh, Lawton, Leuluai, Marsh, Mellor, Owens, Phelps, Sarsfield, Winterstein.