Briscoe excited by Vikings Super League challenge (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

Briscoe excited by Vikings Super League challenge

12:26pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Vikings news By Mike Critchley

THE challenge of re-awakening the sleeping giants of British rugby league was too good for Vikings new vice-captain Shaun Briscoe to turn down.

And the former Wigan, Hull and Hull KR full back will get a first taste of what that really means on Friday night when Vikings make their eagerly awaited return to the top flight after a break of six years.

Widnes kick off this year’s Super League campaign against a new look Wakefield Trinity side that will have a few points of their own to prove after being tipped for demotion prior to Crusaders demise.

It is a landmark night for Vikings – who will showing off their i-pitch for the first time – and a fixture that the team must be targeting as ‘winnable’.

Former England full back Briscoe said: “Wakefield are in a similar boat to ourselves – they have a lot of new players coming in.

“It is a fresh start for them and they will be thinking the same way as ourselves. I don’t think the opposition matters and it is about starting the season well and making progress.

“In our pre-season games at Warrington, Swinton and Saints you saw progression in each one. We are getting to know each other a little bit more. You only get those little quirks of how people play through playing together under fatigue and pressure.

“How fast we develop will dictate how we do this season.”

It has been a long wait for Vikings’ faithful fans since they were cut from the league along with bottom-placed Leigh at the end of 2005 in order to accommodate Catalan.

But those charged with leading the club on and off the park in this new era will be looking to reward those loyal fans, who have already snapped up tickets for the opening encounter.

The buzz is something Briscoe, arriving back on the west of the Pennines after an eight year exile in the rugby league hot-bed of Hull, has picked up on.

He remarked: “The support so far here has been great. Widnes is the sleeping giant of rugby league.

“The history the club has - the Wembleys, the Challenge Cups and Championships – is there on record.

“There are exciting times ahead and you can sense the buzz around the town.

“You will see that on Friday with a big noisy crowd. The lads who were here last year said they were playing in front of smallish crowds but they were still noisy – if we can get this place full every week then the town will be buzzing.”

That is clearly something that helped sell the Vikings to 28-year-old Wiganer, who will have two young talents in Jack Owens and Danny Craven keeping Briscoe on his toes.

“The chance to come back over here for a fresh challenge really excites me.

“When I sat down and spoke with Denis and he told me where the club was going, the people he had brought in and where the club was going and the facilities that were in place and in the pipeline.

“It is a really exciting time for Widnes fans. Some of the youngsters and seeing their attitude, ability and way they train shows there are exciting times ahead.

“If you look at Danny Craven and Jack Owens you see two quality young individuals with great attitudes.

“Danny out of all the lads has really impressed me with his ability – he has a pretty slight frame but he is strong in the gym and is pretty quick, has a fine kicking game, good hands and most of all for me is his attitude and willingness to learn week on week.

“Straight away there I have two lads there breathing down my neck but I can see me being a bit of a mentor.

“It is not a case of me against him (Danny). If I can teach him something to help him improve it will be for the good of the team,” he said.