Kieran Dixon has explained further the circumstances around his surprise exit from Widnes last month.

Dixon, 31, was released by the Vikings in early July after being told he wouldn’t be offered a new contract for 2025, and soon wound up at Oldham, who have just won the League One title.

The winger had been limited to just six appearances for Widnes in 2024, partly due to injury, but also owing to the form of Mike Butt and Ryan Ince. Since his move, he has already broken the Oldham points per game record.

Dixon was part of the Oldham side that sealed the title at Keighley and next season’s Championship odds on bookmakers like 1win az will no doubt have them as contenders to reach the play-offs, if not compete for silverware as they have made no secret of their desire to get back to Super League.

Speaking on The Boundary Line, Dixon said: “This year I’d struggled for game time, I got injured early on in the year and the boys started playing well while I was out. So I’d had a few weeks on the sideline through injury and then struggled to get back in.

“It was coming to the point where you were having the conversation about are you wanted next year, contract offers, XYZ and I was told I wasn’t wanted for next year.

“That was difficult to take, but then not playing as well it’s even harsher on you mentally, so I stepped away to think about what was right, and for me at that time it was asking for a release to then hopefully secure something for the future for me and my family.

“I spoke to Sean Long, he had coached me before at London, and he said he was interested to have a conversation and I jumped at the opportunity to meet him and Mike (Ford) and they sold the dream of coming to Boundary Park and it was too good to say no to.

“There are times you can be told certain things, we’re looking to do this and do that, and you can’t see them making the steps needed to do that, but I think it’s very clear they are doing that here.”

Dixon’s release came hot on the heels of the departure of fans’ favourite Ant Walker, who having similarly been told he wasn’t wanted for next year, ended up departing the DCBL Stadium early to sign for Swinton.

That, coupled with the almost traditional mid-season slump in form, led to questions about how Widnes handle the recruitment and retention process around the May 1st deadline.

Clubs must inform players by that date whether they are re-engaging them for next season, otherwise they are free to talk to other clubs.

It’s link to form may be coincidental, but Widnes have experienced a drop in on-field performances at the same time as that has been happening in recent seasons.

When asked if he would have stayed at Widnes in 2025, Dixon added: “It’s difficult. That’s a conversation I’ll never know the answer to, as I never had it. I was just told I wasn’t required for next year and that was as far as it went.

“Decisions from that conversation had to be made on both sides and it was a tough conversation, that no one enjoys having, but it’s part of the game.

“I’ve been around the game a long time and I’ve experienced stuff like that, but not quite to the same extent. But conversations like that need to be had, and even though they are tough, you can’t get past them.”

Photo courtesy of RLPix