The dust has settled on a relatively successful 2024 campaign for Widnes, as they reached the Championship play-offs for the first time since relegation from Super League, albeit that achievement was somewhat marred by the IMG grading revelations that followed.
The lowly IMG score, that saw Widnes placed in 22nd in the ranking of professional rugby league clubs, highlighted the distance between the present and the dream of a return to Super League.
In many ways, that score matters little. When the sports betting markets open again for the new Championship rugby league season, Widnes are likely to be tipped for a similar finish to last year.
For Widnes, the aim has to be to better last season. A fifth place finish, and a first round play-off defeat to York, was a solid first campaign for Allan Coleman, who (assuming he survives until then!) will become the first Widnes coach to start successive seasons in charge since Denis Betts, such has been the turmoil and turnover of the past six years.
Player movement
The bulk of the squad has remained at the DCBL Stadium, amongst the departures only really back-rower Sam Wilde was a regular starter when fit. Injury-hit Callum Field has decided to take a year out of the game and Shane Grady heads back to retirement having come back for a brief encore towards the end of the campaign. Sam Brooks, Ollie Brookes and Lloyd Roby completed the departures list.
The headline signing is former Warrington half Dec Patton, who will form a mouth-watering half-back partnership with Tom Gilmore, while there have been many further additions in various areas, including what Coleman himself described as some ‘project’ signings, probably the likes of young Adam Jones from Wigan and Mckenzie Buckley, who arrives from St Helens.
The expected signing of Jake Maizen, which would have been an exciting one for fans, looks to be dead in the water following unconfirmed reports surrounding his late season absence from Whitehaven and subsequent return Down Under, though that has been tempered by the signing of fellow Australian Cameron Brown, from Cornwall, who could turn out to be one of the surprise packages of the season.
Martyn Reilly, who missed all but two games of last season through injury, will be like a high-level new signing and he has been joined in the pack by Gavin Bennion, Brett Bailey and the versatile Lewis Hall.
Off the field
Off the field, Coleman has helped to re-build the connection between the club and the fans, although this still needs work, especially if the club is to improve on the 1,900 average crowd of last season.
The announcement that more than 1,000 season tickets have been sold in the early bird window is a positive.
Ultimately, one of the areas for improvement within the IMG grading criteria is increasing attendances.
What Widnes can achieve in 2025 on the pitch is also dependent on how the other clubs in the Championship are lining up.
The competition
Bradford have recruited heavily and strongly, and had a large majority of their 2025 squad locked in before the surprise departure of head coach Eamon O’Carroll to St Helens, with club legend and Super League winning coach Brian Noble stepping forward from the shadows to lead from the front.
They will likely enter the season as favourites, and do have a genuine chance of reaching Super League in the coming years – if only they could do something about the Odsal pitch.
Winning the Championship might give the Bulls the IMG points swing they need to dislodge one of the top 12 clubs.
Unlike in previous seasons, there doesn’t seem like there will be a runaway leader like Wakefield in 2024.
Toulouse’s latest Super League snub has raised questions over their finances, and they are unlikely to be as heavily funded as in previous years, especially as they have to stump up travel costs for their opponents.
That leaves York next in line, and if they can sort out their seemingly habitual poor starts to seasons, could be a real contender under Mark Applegarth, who has added some experience and quality in the likes of Paul McShane in the off-season.
Featherstone performed beneath their usual expectations and standards last season amidst uncertainty over Mark Campbell’s ownership, but will likely be there or thereabouts.
Oldham come up from League One with a squad bursting with Super League and Championship experience, and you could argue that they the strongest squad on paper in terms of depth, with plenty of former Widnes players amongst them.
Josh Drinkwater and Gil Dudson have been added to a side that already included the likes of Jordan Turner, Adam Milner, Elijah Taylor and Craig Kopczak.
Their ex-Widnes connection, which of course includes Dudson, will also see Kieran Dixon, Danny Craven, Owen Farnworth, Adam Lawton, Jay Chapelhow, Pat Moran, Ted Chapelhow and Jack Johnson all return to the DCBL Stadium next season.
It’s been a turbulent few months at Sheffield, with the controversial suspension of Mark Aston which derailed their 2024 campaign. Without that, they would have almost certainly finished in the top three and had a punt at the Grand Final, but they ended up finishing outside the top six.
While Aston is still trying to reverse his 18-month ban, the club have confirmed he will still be around in an off-field role which will eventually morph in to a Director of Rugby job when permitted.
However, they have made the shrewd addition of former Batley coach Craig Lingard as head coach, and with the quality of players at his disposal, Sheffield will be a force to be reckoned with.
Halifax surely won’t be as bad as last season, and both Barrow and Doncaster will fancy themselves to improve too.
For Widnes, finishing in the top four will surely be a target, owing to the revised play-off system which will see the top eight compete in the end of season knock-out.
