11:08am Friday 19th February 2010
By Mike Critchley
VIKINGS coach Paul Cullen has paid tribute to the dual registration Wigan Warriors youngsters who scored in Sunday’s thrilling win over Barrow.
Flying wing Shaun Ainscough brilliantly finished off the match winning score in the 80th minute, with fellow young Warrior Liam Farrell grabbing Widnes’ only touchdown of the first half.
Although both remain Wigan players and train with their parent club full time - if not needed on Super League duty they are free to play for Widnes.
The system is working well for Vikings so far, with Cullen particularly impressed with the way 19-year-old Farrell has handled mixing it with more streetwise opponents.
Cullen said: “For Liam to play that much game time against a tough Barrow pack is tremendous.
“His rugby league experience to date has been scholarship, under 18s and under 21s.
“But now he has come up against two experienced packs, packed with hardened professionals, who have been round the block a few times and know how to knock young players about.
“On Sunday Liam just took it and was going just as strong at the end of the game.”
Widnes’ pack was depleted by the late withdrawals of Steve Pickersgill and Dave Allen through injury and Ben Davies and Lee Doran with illness.
Cullen has said players who are not 100 per cent fit will not play in the final Northern Rail group game at Swinton on Sunday - so he will check on those players later in the week.
Danny Hulme and Dean Thompson, who both featured in the pre-season games have been training well and could get a run out, particularly with qualification for the quarter finals more or less assured.
Cullen added: “It will be good to give Gareth Haggerty a bit more game time as well as Richard Varkulis.
With two wins and an away draw, Cullen is pleased with the way this part of the campaign has gone so far.
“We are not at 100 per cent yet and have still not nailed on our best 13 or 17 players and that is a good position to be in when we are going through the preliminary stages.
“When you consider all the things we have had in pre-season we are going all right.
“The lads are looking fit and healthy and we have used an awful lot of players.
“Batley and Barrow have both asked questions of us. But we have answered them pretty well at the minute,” Cullen said.
Widnes have been drawn at home to Wigan amateurs St Judes in the Challenge Cup third round on March 7.
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