Ahead of Sunday’s visit of Featherstone Rovers in Round 13 of the Betfred Championship campaign, we take a closer look at this weekend’s opponents.
FORM GUIDE
Featherstone Rovers are the form team in the competition, having won all 11 of their fixtures heading into Sunday’s trip to the DCBL Stadium.
James Webster’s side are scoring at will, posting over 60 points in their last three outings with convincing victories over London Broncos, Newcastle Thunder and Dewsbury Rams.
Even prior to that, they put Bradford Bulls to the sword, running in 44 unanswered points to nil their Yorkshire counterparts.
Heading into this weekend, only points difference is keeping Rovers off the top of the table in second, as Toulouse Olympique are also unbeaten having won all eight of their fixtures so far.
VIKINGS CONNECTIONS
Widnes fans will recall Featherstone head coach James Webster from his two-season stint at the Vikings as a player, with the former halfback spending 2009 and 2010 at the club.
In those two years he racked up 43 appearances and 10 tries, reaching back-to-back Northern Rail Cup finals which included victory in 09.
Also part of that triumphant side is current Rovers fullback Craig Hall, who spent a brief loan spell at Widnes which included featuring in the final of the competition in 2009. In his five appearances, he scored one try, 31 goals and a drop-goal.
Danny Craven also has a connection to this weekend’s opponents having spent the 2016 season on loan at the Millennium Stadium, making 24 appearances in which he scored eight tries, four goals and a drop-goal.
ONES TO WATCH
Winger Gareth Gale is currently the top try scorer in the Betfred Championship, already notching up 19 four-pointers which included a club-record equalling six in the victory over Newcastle Thunder.
Brett Ferres and Dane Chisholm made their return to action against London, which will be a welcome boost as they prepare for a trip to Wembley following their clash with the Vikings.
Craig Hall could also be a threat no matter where he features, whether it is at fullback, winger, centre or in the halves – with the number one also crossing the whitewash 14 times this season to sit second in the league’s try scoring list.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Vikings and Rovers have gone head-to-head already this season, as they played out one of the games of the season in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Semi-Final.
Featherstone raced into a 16-0 advantage before Widnes clawed their way back into the contest, with the home side eventually edging the knockout tie 24-18 despite the visitors having some big chances to level the game late on.
The Rovers also won the meeting previous to that, also coming at the Millennium Stadium where they ran out 22-4 winners during the 2019 season.
At the DCBL Stadium though, the Vikings have won their last three meetings with Featherstone, with their last home defeat in this fixture coming during the 2011 Championship season.
STREAM INFO
Vikings supporters can purchase a live stream of Sunday’s fixture for £4.95 if bought in advance, with streaming passes increased to £10 on the day of the game. Please note, Widnes Vikings Season Ticket holders will receive this game for free as it is a home fixture.
TICKET INFO
General Sale tickets are now available, with full details available at the below button. Please be advised that away travel is not permitted due to Public Health concerns surrounding the rate of infection in both Halton and Wakefield.
