Widnes travel to North Wales as another Championship fixture threatens to be a one sided contest
After a taxing three games in eight days, Allan Colemans team turn their attention to North Wales Crusaders. The Vikings go into the game off the back of a commanding 52-0 victory over Goole Vikings last Saturday afternoon.
Widnes currently sit 5th in the Championship table, with a healthy 212 goal difference, however Doncaster sit 2 points behind the Vikings with two games in hand and a 101 better goal difference.
Testing times for North Wales
North Wales enter the game a far cry from the team that lost to Widnes on the opening day of the season 28-14. On the day North Wales took Widnes all the way, however it was Widnes who secured the two points, in a hard fought contest.
Since then the Welsh club have hit financial crisis and currently sit at the foot of the Championship. As a result numerous first team players departed the club after unpaid wages.
Players like Jake Spedding, Jordi Gibson and Dec Patton was quickly replaced with players from the community game in a drastic attempt to save the club from financial oblivion.
North Wales was sanctioned with an immediate 12 point deduction from their league table tally and placed under financial restrictions for the rest of the 2026 season.
The Welsh club was also given dispensation in the loan market to sign up to 10 loan players to support the Crusaders fulfilling fixtures for the rest of the 2026 season.
It is terrific to see North Wales continue to take the field in 2026, however their minus 826 goal difference suggests the Vikings 90-0 club record victory over Coventry Bears back in 2018 could be under serious threat of being broken.
Widnes team news
It is expected Allan Coleman will take the opportunity to rotate his team ahead of the trip to Colwyn Bay. Young Centre Deacon Connelly is expected to make his debut and be awarded with his prestigious heritage number.
After his try scoring debut for the club, Frank Sergent is likely to retain his place on the Wing, whilst Jack Houghton is in contention to make the match day 17 man squad.
Jack Billington drops out of the squad, whilst Liam Bent is set to face another spell on the side lines after picking up a leg injury in the clash against Goole Vikings.
Morgan McWhirter is also a doubt for Sundays action and will be assessed at training.
Sam Wilde and Joe Edge are in contention to make a return to the team, whilst Max Roberts is likely slot back in the Back-row.
Building back confidence
Losses to Oldham and Doncaster at home in the space of a week was bitterly disappointing for Widnes. The fixture run was challenging, however a victory against at least one of the teams would have gone a long way to silence some critics.
Opinions have surfaced on social media of late, that Widnes are a team who comfortably beat the mid to lower teams in the division, however lack the quality to defeat the top teams in the competition.
Widnes have come out on top against Oldham away from home and Newcastle Thunder in the 1895 Cup quarter final, however have suffered defeats against Doncaster twice, London Broncos, Oldham and Barrow Raiders.
Widnes have a record of two wins from a possible seven against teams that are widely considered to be direct rivals of the Vikings come the seasons end.
It is a statistic that will have to improve if the Vikings are to make it to the later stages of the 2026 play-offs.
With that said a 52-0 victory against Goole, which displayed water tight defence will go a long way to help build back confidence within the group and remind themselves the defensive standards they have set at times this season.
Sunday’s trip to North Wales is no different and once the game finishes, Barrow Raiders await Widnes as another opportunity arises to prove the Vikings can compete with the teams towards the top of the Championship.
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