Recruitment is always a major component to any teams success, here we take a look at 5 players who could be ideal targets for Widnes in 2026.
The part-time player pool this side of the Pennines is a challenging market. Only Widnes and Oldham are based this side in the Championship, though that may change with discussions to merge the division with League One and form two conferences ongoing. Players in Yorkshire tend to move from club to club whereas over this side it is less of a luxury. Players are less willing to travel the M62 corridor from Yorkshire when they can find a more local club. Even when they do it often leads to having to pay the extra cost.
Despite this aspect of the market being a challenge there are still realistic targets out there ready for Widnes to snap up.
Lachlan Hanneghan
Points have been a premium for Widnes in the past two seasons. The Vikings lack a Half-back who has a dangerous running game and also has a strong kicking game.
Dec Patton was recruited to partner Tom Gilmore which drastically improved the Vikings long kicking game. Since Patton has been side-lined through injury the team has struggled for form, and without him in the team the Vikings not only continue to lack points but have been heavily criticised of being too predictable when it comes to last tackle plays.
Hanneghan is currently at Hunslet where earlier in the season he bagged himself a hat trick against Widnes, demonstrating his threat of running with the ball.
He is not only a Half-back who enjoys running with the ball, he also has a strong kicking game particularly from deep, again a weapon he deployed against Widnes.
Hanneghan has earned plaudits for his contributions to Hunslet despite performing in a beaten team most weeks. Any Vikings supporter who watched the two games against Hunslet will have witnessed his attacking threat and ability to bring other players onto the ball at pace.
Hanneghan was recruited by Hunslet at the start of this season from Whitehaven. He played his rugby with Widnes Full-back Jake Maizen last term, so he does have connections to the club. Hunslet fended off numerous Championship clubs for his signature.
Whatever the fait of Hunslet this season Hanneghan won’t be short of takers and could be the key to helping the Vikings become more feared in attack.
Ellis Robson
No stranger to Widnes, Ellis has had loan spells at the club back in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Particularly in his first loan spell, Robson proved to be a player who played with a level of maturity in his game. Only a youngster at the time, his playing style was leading from the front with strong carries and solid defence.
It was easy to see why he was a former Warrington academy captain. He is a player who bases his game through effort areas and clearly is a good person off the field, who prepares for games professionally.
Since leaving Warrington permanently Robson signed for Keighley for two seasons. During his time he made 48 appearances for the club and crossed the try line 26 times, a healthy amount for a back row.
In 2024 Keighley failed to clinch promotion back to the Championship, as a result Barrow swooped for his services. Robson so far has proved a smart signing for the Raiders bringing his leadership to the team and continuing a healthy return of tries for a forward. So far he has made 15 appearances for the club scoring four tries.
He has been a key player for Barrow in 2025 helping them mount a play-off challenge against the odds on one of the smallest Championship budgets.
Robson is still contracted to the club for the 2026 season, but perhaps a move closer to home could tempt the 26 year old to the Vikings if the money was right.
Owen Farnworth
A product of the Widnes academy, Farnworth perhaps was the most disappointing loss of the players who departed for Oldham back in 2023. Farnworth showed plenty of promise at a young age post administration for Widnes, he was expected to play above his age in the pack and perhaps needed a couple of experienced players around him to aid his development.
Sometimes criticised for his injury record, he still managed 80 appearances for the club.
Farnworth has traits of a pack leader, he is extremely aggressive with his carries and likes to shoot the line to put a hit on opponents. He and Dan Murray could perhaps be the ideal combination to start in the Front Row for Widnes.
Since leaving the Vikings he is now in his second season with Oldham. During this time he has 37 appearances for the club and has been a key part to their success.
Still only 26, Owen has recently spent time at Rochdale on duel registration. It is common knowledge in the Rugby League world Oldham’s spending on player wages is going to increase with their lofty ambitions. with that said players are expected to depart the club to make way for fresh, high profile faces.
Having being sent on loan to a League One club, this perhaps is a sign Farnworth could be one of the players to be released by Oldham. Widnes could be the ideal destination for the aggressive forward.
Widnes have found it hard to make metres in 2025 and on occasions been over run by opposition forward packs. Recruiting Farnworth would add a Prop still with his best years ahead, full of intent, with a point to prove.
Titus Gwaze
The versatile middle has earned himself a reputation to be one of the top forwards at Championship level over the years appearing for London, Halifax and now Sheffield.
Again a no nonsense middle, who is quite an athlete and many of times has over powered Widnes playing for the opposition. He has strong leg drive and takes the ball to the line with pace, again something Widnes have lacked this season at times.
Titus can operate at Loose Forward equally as well with sharp ball skills. His ability to make breaks is a dream for supporting players like Jake Maizen and Matty Fozard to feed off.
Nearly 26 years old, Titus again is another forward who has his best years ahead of him and currently finds himself at a club in turmoil. Sheffield have released many players early from contracts to save costs such as Ben Jones Bishop, Mitch Clark and James Glover. It could be an ideal time for Widnes to take advantage of the Eagles struggles.
Titus is based in Huddersfield, so a commute to Widnes for training and match days is a similar distance to Sheffield, perhaps a sign travel wouldn’t be an issue.
For the more observant listeners in a recent episode of the Widnes Rugby Podcast, Allan Coleman loosely quoted Titus’s name to James Gordon as an example when discussing the state of the transfer market below Super League. Could this be coincidence or something that has more substance?
Edene Gebbie
The most left field out of the 5 players is Edene Gebbie. The former Papua New Guinea international had a tough start to life in the UK in 2024 with Whitehaven, where he played alongside Widnes Full-back Jake Maizen.
He arrived on the shores as a recognised Full Back with a devastating running game and ability to break from deep, however he found it a challenge early doors to break into the first team due to the form of Maizen.
The 2024 season was a few months old and head coach Jonty Gorley found a way to fit the pair into the same team and Gebbie racked up 10 tries in 16 appearances for the Cumbrian club.
The 29 year olds strong end to the season was recognised by Doncaster who snapped up his services for the 2025 season. The versatile outside back has continued his 2024 end of season form into 2025 earning plaudits for some length of the field efforts.
Gebbie has 11 appearances for Doncaster so far, scoring an eye watering 12 tries highlighting his attacking threat.
Speed, power and the ability to break from deep is something the Vikings have lacked in the backs at times this season and last. Gebbie alongside Jake Maizen in the Widnes back division would go along way to improving the clubs attacking threat and certainly a duo that would excite the supporters.
Who would you like the Vikings to sign for 2026? Let us know in the comments below.
