Widnes entertain derby rivals Warrington in a competitive fixture for the first time since 2018 when the two meet in the Challenge Cup on Saturday.
It is arguably the biggest game Widnes have played since dropping out of the top flight at the end of 2018, and it’s only the second time they have faced Super League opposition since 2020, when they were beaten 68-4 by Salford in the cup.
Jack Owens, who lined up at loose forward that day, is one of only two survivors in the Widnes team from that game, the other being Joe Lyons, who some fans have been calling for a return to the line-up in place of former Warrington half-back Dec Patton. Patton and Rhys Williams actually played for Salford against Widnes in the cup tie, both scoring tries.
Although without long-term absentees Jordan Johnstone and Lewis Hall, Widnes will be hoping that Liam Kirk, Joe Edge and Brett Bailey could come in to contention, particularly as they won’t be able to make use of dual-registration this weekend.
Warrington injury worries
Max Wood and Alfie Johnson have featured for Widnes from the Wolves this season, and both are likely to line-up for their parent club this weekend.
However, Warrington have revealed they will be without Matt Dufty, Matty Ashton and Toby King, who all sat out the defeat to Wakefield, while Australian forward Luke Yates will also be sidelined.
Any thoughts of resting big hitters like Paul Vaughan and George Williams may have to be put to bed given the absence of those four other regulars.
With Warrington having suffered successive defeats, including one last weekend to former coach Daryl Powell’s Wakefield, some of their fans appear worried by the potential of a defeat to Widnes.
However, the reality of the gulf between the full-time and part-time status of the clubs means even that with several players missing, Warrington will be heavy favourites, and Widnes will treat it as a free hit with nothing to lose.
A missed opportunity for Widnes, but nothing to lose
For Widnes, the aim will surely be to keep in the game for as long as possible.
Widnes missed an opportunity to go in to the game off the back of six competitive victories, throwing away an eight-point lead to lose 28-20 at Batley.
Being top of the Championship might well have sold a few more tickets, though a crowd in excess of 5,000 is expected.
Coach Allan Coleman said: “We were really in a good place, we’d not played great, but we were still unbeaten. But maybe the defeat to Batley can give us a bit more focus for next week.
“We can just play with a bit of freedom and not get carried away with ourselves. We’re not going in to it thinking ‘we’re unbeaten, we’re this, we’re that’
“We’re Widnes, we’re a Championship club and they’re a Super League club. So let’s go and challenge in every area we can, man for man, all over the field, challenge your opposition, be better than him and see if you can compete.”
Recent meetings dominated by Warrington
Warrington have won the last 11 competitive meetings between the two sides, dating back to a 30-10 defeat at Widnes in April 2015.
That run includes the dramatic 22-20 win for the Wolves in 2015, when Joel Monaghan crossed in the dying seconds, to deny Widnes revenge for their play-off defeat at the same ground the previous season.
The following season, a sell-out crowd of 15,008 at the Halliwell Jones Stadium watched Warrington turn over a then top of Super League Widnes, missing Kevin Brown, with 18 unanswered second half points.
Warrington also pipped Widnes by two points in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals later that season.
The last meeting at the Halton Stadium was an 18-10 win for Warrington in February 2018, when referee Phil Bentham suffered a neck injury following a collision with Chris Houston, and never refereed again.
There are of course plenty of connections between the two clubs. Warrington’s hometown hooker Danny Walker came through the academy set up at Widnes, and made a name for himself in a televised cup clash between the two sides when he confronted Chris Hill live on the BBC.
Had a great chat today with @WidnesRL chairman Stuart Murphy about the impact of Saturdays game and what a boost it’s been since the draw
1. Interest from both sets of fans has been fantastic
2. The income the Vikings will generate from this game is such a boost for the season…. https://t.co/XkB3lYAqJf— philkinsella (@philkinsella) March 12, 2025
3. The club have been working with @HaltonBC to get the Lowerhouse Lane Stand ready to be used for the first time in 4 years!!!!
4. The brilliant mood at the club & in the town with the Renewal of the derby game with their nearest rival
You can hear it tomorrow @bbcmerseysport https://t.co/2C7jRZtKhJ— philkinsella (@philkinsella) March 12, 2025
Patton played in a Super League Grand Final for Warrington and is now at Widnes, while Welsh winger Williams scored 21 tries in 29 appearances for the Wolves earlier in his career.
Walker and Patton are taking part in some film promotion for the game with the RFL.
Coleman added: “I hope the crowds come because I’d love to see it. The players deserve that and the club deserves it, and hopefully it’ll put a few pennies in the bank!
“I’ve not seen the stadium with more than 4,000 on, and you know I love the fans, I love the club, so I’d love to see 5/6,000 on, it would be brilliant.”
You can buy tickets for the match via the Widnes Vikings club website.
