Widnes Vikings take on the world

Oct 16 2008 by Paul Glynn, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

A HOST of Vikings stars and staff boarded planes for Australia this week to represent their respective nations at the Rugby League World Cup.

Four players and a quartet of club personnel flew Down Under to report for duty.

Returning Viking Lee Doran is a player, Terry O’Connor technical director and Colin Robertson conditioner for Ireland, who will face Samoa and Tonga in the tournament’s Group C.

The Irish will kick off the campaign against the Tongans at Parramatta Stadium in Sydney on Monday, October 27.

Meanwhile, John Duffy, Iain Morrison and Lee Paterson joined coach Steve McCormack and assistant Tim Holmes in meeting up with the Scotland squad.

The Scots have been drawn in Group B alongside Fiji and France, who they will entertain in their opening fixture at Canberra Stadium on October 26.

Duffy, who qualifies to play for Scotland through his dad’s Glaswegian roots, cannot wait to take to the big stage.

He said: “It will be unbelievable and the biggest moment of my career, as I was injured for the last World Cup. It’s the ultimate test for a rugby league player and an honour to be there.

“Some of the best players in the world will be there and I’m sure that it will be great to play in and also a great spectacle to watch.”

He added: “Our first game against France will be a real test as they have a good squad of Super League players, but then so do we.

“It will be a massive challenge acclimatising to the heat in just 11 days before that match, but once we arrive in Australia, we’ll have a good medical team looking after us and we’ll be ready.”

Duffy also believes the strong Widnes connection could give the Scots a distinct advantage.

“It definitely helps having Iain and Lee alongside me on the pitch as I know what they prefer and they know what I prefer. Also, to have Steve in charge is great because he’s a quality coach.

“The World Cup will be massive for all of us, including the lads with Ireland, who have been drawn in a tough group.”

He added: “But it’s great for the club to have so many people involved at this level and it can only be good preparation for next season.

“Steve’s recruited well, we’ve got a strong squad and after the World Cup we will reassess our goals and then set out to achieve them.”

The RLWC final is at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday, November 22.