Widnes Vikings utility back Joe Edge says the club’s opening pre-season friendly can’t come soon enough for himself and the rest of the squad.
John Kear’s players will ramp up preparations ahead of the new Betfred Championship season with a fixture against Rochdale Hornets at the DCBL Stadium on Sunday 15 January.
That will be followed by trips to Oldham and Super League champions St Helens later in the month.
It will be a new-look Vikings side in 2023, with a number of off-season arrivals increasing competition for places across the squad.
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But on a personal note, Edge is excited by the challenge of impressing during the Vikings’ upcoming matches, in the hopes of earning a spot in the matchday 17 for their Round 1 opener away at York City Knights on Sunday 5 February.
“Everyone is really looking forward to finally playing again,” the 22-year-old said.
“We’ve been training really hard all pre-season, and now we finally get the chance to show exactly what we’ve been working on.
“There’s a lot of competition for places this year, but that just makes you work harder.
“I’m hoping to play some games during pre-season, really put my name forward and fight for a starting shirt.
“The new lads have been great too. They’re all good guys, and they’ve worked really hard and are helping to drive standards within the rest of the group.”
The upcoming friendly against Rochdale will be a first home outing since September for the Vikings, and will be followed by three consecutive away matches.
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Edge, who signed a new two-year deal in September, admits he is eager to play in front of the Vikings faithful once more.
“I’m really excited about the upcoming games, and finally getting to play at home,” he said.
“I’m hoping all the fans come down to support us and get ready for the new season.”
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