Widnes Vikings sign Willie Isa (From Runcorn and Widnes World)
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Widnes Vikings sign Willie Isa
5:43pm Friday 2nd September 2011 in Vikings news
WIDNES Vikings have completed the signing of Samoan international centre or winger Willie Isa.
The 22-year-old joins Vikings on a two-year deal from Castleford Tigers where he has spent the 2011 season.
Auckland-born Isa earned a glowing reputation down under for his outstanding speed and strength and made his NRL debut with Penrith Panthers in 2008, before moving to Melbourne Storm the following year. International honours followed in 2010 when he made his Test debut for Samoa against New Zealand.
Delighted by his signing, which is subject to receiving the necessary visa, head coach Denis Betts said: “Willie arrives at the club with a rich pedigree and the feedback we have received from not only the coaches he has played under but also our many contacts overseas, mirror the exact same thoughts we have ourselves.
"He’s a classy outside back which is a position that all clubs are finding extremely difficult to source at the moment, and as an added bonus, he has an overall quality and an X-factor about him as both a player and a person.
“We’re trying to create an environment at Widnes which is geared around people who aren’t intimidated or frightened by the prospect of continual hard work.
"Our recruitment process for 2012 has focused entirely on introducing players to our set-up who realise that the level of commitment we’re looking for is a type of behaviour that actually reaps rewards.
"Given his upbringing and background, Willie certainly ticks that box for us and I’m confident that he will do a fantastic job for us.”
Isa is the club’s ninth new signing in preparation for its 2012 Super League campaign.
He joins Ben Cross (Wigan Warriors), Hep Cahill (Crusaders), Shaun Briscoe (Hull Kingston Rovers), Patrick Ah Van (Bradford Bulls), Ben Davies (Wigan Warriors), Lloyd White (Crusaders), Chris Dean (Wakefield Wildcats) and Frank Winterstein (Crusaders) in signing for the Vikings.
