Vikings are raring to go

Dec 6 2007 by Alex Turner, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

THE 2008 season began at the Halton Stadium on Monday as players reported back for training after an eventful off-season.

Coach Steve McCormack has 15 players in his first-team squad, but only five from last season, a consequence of the club’s financial troubles.

But with a new management team in place attention can turn to on-field preparation.

The countdown to next season has begun in earnest, with little more than seven weeks before Wigan Warriors visit for a pre-season friendly.

There is still much to be done before then with players still to be recruited.

However two more have put pen to paper in the last week.

Blockbusting prop Jim Gannon has joined from Hull KR along with ex-Hull and Wigan Warriors prop Danny Hill.

Both players will boost the pack with Super League experience, which will be vital to the young squad with an average age of under 23.

McCormack said: “Jim Gannon and Danny Hill are great additions to the squad and both have played at the top level.

“Jim’s knowledge and experience will be hugely beneficial to the younger players in the Vikings squad.”

Three players who won’t be pulling on a Widnes shirt next year are Joel Tomkins, Ben Black and Paul Hasty.

Tomkins, who joined Widnes on loan from Wigan in July, has signed a full-time contract with the Warriors.

And McCormack’s search for half-backs continues as he looks to have missed out on two targets.

Black, who played for Halifax in 2005, has signed a contract with his current Australian club Burleigh Bears while Hasty is reported to have been put off leaving Rochdale by the demands of training.

McCormack is also still to appoint an assistant coach, despite former Academy coach John Stankevitch quitting as coach of Doncaster last Thursday for mainly personal reasons.

Stankevitch, who spent only five months in charge of the South Yorkshire club after leaving the Vikings, is now working for a mortgage company.

The success of the Vikings’ scholarship programme has been recognised by the Rugby Football League, who have given it High Performance status.

The programme has 36 youngsters and has recently seen five of its starlets moved up into the first-team squad.

Scholarship co-ordinator John Foran said: “The Scholarship is a vital part of the Vikings’ youth structure and has seen five talented, young players already offered full-time contracts for next season.

“I am indebted to all of the volunteer coaches who give up their time to coach on the scheme and I’m sure with the revival of the club under Steve O’Connor, it will be even easier to attract top-class, talented young players to the club.”

The Vikings will enjoy a boost in their income next year after a new television deal was announced by the Rugby Football League.

A joint package between Sky Sports and the BBC was successful and is believed to be worth around £1m a season for each Super League club.

The deal, which will cover the three-year period of the first Super League licences, also includes rights to England internationals and the World Club Challenge.

If the Vikings are unsuccessful with their bid for a licence, they will still benefit from an extra £100,000 each year from television money.

Sky Sports will broadcast 29 live matches each season from the National Leagues and Northern Rail Cup.