2023 - Team & Squad

He's on the club Facebook stage thanking the club for allowing him to do his pre-season with us/them.

Good to see the faces of who are back/been training.

22 minutes ago, Indigogo said:

He's done pre season with us and is now heading back to the US to play Union for DC Glory. I've heard whispers he might come back to us once their season is done, would be a similar time as to when he joined this season.

18 minutes ago, Angelic Cynic said:

He's on the club Facebook stage thanking the club for allowing him to do his pre-season with us/them.

Good to see the faces of who are back/been training.

Thanks to both. 

Hopefully he might make a comeback. I thought he did make a difference.

17 minutes ago, Angelic Cynic said:

He's on the club Facebook stage thanking the club for allowing him to do his pre-season with us/them.

Good to see the faces of who are back/been training.

It is nice to see a pic of training, something i feel the club should be doing more of but apparently Rhys wants no 'distractions' during pre season.

4 missing from what i could make out. Mark Ioane, Dane Chisolm, Brenden Santi & Kyle Trout. One extra face that I believe is Keenen Tomlinson who has done pre season with us but no announcement if he has signed to play.

3 hours ago, Indigogo said:

It is nice to see a pic of training, something i feel the club should be doing more of but apparently Rhys wants no 'distractions' during pre season.

4 missing from what i could make out. Mark Ioane, Dane Chisolm, Brenden Santi & Kyle Trout. One extra face that I believe is Keenen Tomlinson who has done pre season with us but no announcement if he has signed to play.

It was pleasing to see the 2 post - operation fellas in the photo.

Brad Walker, of course,another flexible player who can play in the halves,and elsewhere.

On 22/12/2022 at 15:27, Angelic Cynic said:

It was pleasing to see the 2 post - operation fellas in the photo.

Brad Walker, of course,another flexible player who can play in the halves,and elsewhere.

Who are the 2 post operation? I know Brad Walker had one.

Didn't know he played in the halves either. Knew he was a 13 or 9 if needed 

39 minutes ago, Indigogo said:

Who are the 2 post operation? I know Brad Walker had one.

Didn't know he played in the halves either. Knew he was a 13 or 9 if needed 

Nathan Roebuck,I believe.

4th para - https://www.runcornandwidnesworld.co.uk/sport/16989629.brad-walker-commits-widnes-vikings/

https://wakefieldtrinity.com/magic-weekend-defeat-for-trinity/

Keenen Tomlinson signs on for the season. I knew he had been training with us all winter so not a great surprise. 

I don't know much about him but nice to have additional numbers and cover in numerous positions.

51 minutes ago, Indigogo said:

Keenen Tomlinson signs on for the season. I knew he had been training with us all winter so not a great surprise. 

I don't know much about him but nice to have additional numbers and cover in numerous positions.

Indigogo,I reckon you're in the know.( ITK ).

You somehow spotted Keenen,training.

Do you reckon there is an in-house PCD ( Professional Coaching Development )

ongoing,by Rhys,and one of the coaches,on the pitch on Friday night may get promoted to assist the first team - perhaps one engaged with the ETP? 

32 minutes ago, Angelic Cynic said:

Indigogo,I reckon you're in the know.( ITK ).

You somehow spotted Keenen,training.

Do you reckon there is an in-house PCD ( Professional Coaching Development )

ongoing,by Rhys,and one of the coaches,on the pitch on Friday night may get promoted to assist the first team - perhaps one engaged with the ETP? 

I hear little bits of info every now and again, but wouldn't say I'm in the know. 

Not sure about if there's a PCD or not. Rhys obviously helped out with the Jamaica camp at the world cup so maybe Coleman is just repaying a bit of a favour by assisting with coaching now and again. Maybe watch this space!

Hearing Jack Miller is on his way out of the club, couple of championship suitors. Newcastle looking the most likely.

Anesu Mudoti appears to be either training or on loan at Midlands.

Looking light on numbers Jack does go and Mudoti is on loan. Could do with reinvesting in a big prop imo.

Let's wait and see what happens.

32 minutes ago, Indigogo said:

Hearing Jack Miller is on his way out of the club, couple of championship suitors. Newcastle looking the most likely.

Anesu Mudoti appears to be either training or on loan at Midlands.

Looking light on numbers Jack does go and Mudoti is on loan. Could do with reinvesting in a big prop imo.

Let's wait and see what happens.

I think props reach their peak in their late 20's.Interesting that it is a loan - and to a club that enjoys taking former Keighley players.

I would have thought Jack would be fighting to regain his place.Surprised by that.

Jack gone to Newcastle, Mudoti on loan at Midlands, Lynam on duel reg with West Bowling. 

Crooks out for 10 weeks, Trout another couple of weeks, Ellis Robson and Lloyd Roby out for an unknown amount of time.

That leaves us with 21 fit players (22 if you included Jake Webster) and providing there were no more injuries on Sunday. I noticed Brad Walker limped off but that was said to be precautionary by Rhys in the after-game interview. 

Squad looking a little thin now imo.

9 hours ago, Indigogo said:

Jack gone to Newcastle, Mudoti on loan at Midlands, Lynam on duel reg with West Bowling. 

Crooks out for 10 weeks, Trout another couple of weeks, Ellis Robson and Lloyd Roby out for an unknown amount of time.

That leaves us with 21 fit players (22 if you included Jake Webster) and providing there were no more injuries on Sunday. I noticed Brad Walker limped off but that was said to be precautionary by Rhys in the after-game interview. 

Squad looking a little thin now imo.

Lloyd Roby has been making good strides in his return to fitness.Not far away.

Maybe some new face would be good before the next home game.

Perhaps a 'middle'...

We need you for the information...and the eye on the training pitch.

11 minutes ago, Angelic Cynic said:

Lloyd Roby has been making good strides in his return to fitness.Not far away.

Maybe some new face would be good before the next home game.

Perhaps a 'middle'...

We need you for the information...and the eye on the training pitch.

Hope he isn't too far away. We don't have much cover in the backs now and I wouldn't be surprised if he slotted straight in somewhere. I think some Widnes fans said his best position was FB but can't see him displacing Lewis. Hopefully he's as adept on the wing or centre. 

I would love a middle in before our next home game. None on the horizon that I'm aware of though. Unless you know otherwise?!

Lewis Young has signed a contract improvement/extension until the end of 2024. Richly deserved for Lewis, he's been our standout player this season, long may it continue. 

1 minute ago, Indigogo said:

Lewis Young has signed a contract improvement/extension until the end of 2024. Richly deserved for Lewis, he's been our standout player this season, long may it continue. 

Really good news for you guys , thought he might be going to the rhinos with Rohan observing at the w/e.

6 hours ago, Indigogo said:

Lewis Young has signed a contract improvement/extension until the end of 2024. Richly deserved for Lewis, he's been our standout player this season, long may it continue. 

Great decision by the club. He really has stepped up this season.

I see we have signed Joe Gibbons on a season loan from Leeds. I'm not sure if he has played elseware at all.

We definitely need to strengthen our squad with all the injuries we've picked up.

Hopefully he will prove to be a good signing. 

I'd say we need to bring in at least 2 props if we are to have a chance of staying up. No idea where we will find one though. 

Seems strange that we've signed Jake Sweeting and he's been available but hasn't played yet. I think we need to move Brad Walker back to loose forward and play Sweeting.

Fingers crossed Junior S'au joins us this week and slots straight in.

We've still got a long long lost of absentees and almost our whole back 5 unavailable along with our 2 best props and arguably best player in Young. 

Young, Mo, Sa'u, Storey, Roebuck, Sweeting, Ioane, Trout, Kesik, Lynam, Rush, Mudoti.

Hopefully there were no more injuries yesterday. I didn't notice any during the game.

With news of Nathan Roebuck having now left, it is certainly a change to the squad at the just- past-halfway stage of the season.

Looking at the squad in December,I don't suppose those having paid for their season cards would have expected such an exodus of experienced and relatively successful players at this point of the campaign.

If some clubs have now spent their season ticket money and are making cutbacks it doesn't augur well for 2024 for Championship & League 1 clubs,nor the future of the sport;especially with regard to future season ticket sales.

Its a shame for Roebuck he seemed to have a lot of potential but constantly suffered from injuries.

I can't remember a season where we have used so many players. I am sure we must have beaten all previous records.

Ben Stead is signing on for us again. Midlands have announced a team have paid for his release, and this is us. 

We've gone from Luke Gale, Dane Chisholm and Jack Miller to Jake Sweeting, Ben Stead and PLT on loan, as our half back options. If that doesn't scream relegation and a total lack of ambition or forward thinking from the owners, I don't know what does. Grim times.

10 hours ago, Indigogo said:

Ben Stead is signing on for us again. Midlands have announced a team have paid for his release, and this is us. 

We've gone from Luke Gale, Dane Chisholm and Jack Miller to Jake Sweeting, Ben Stead and PLT on loan, as our half back options. If that doesn't scream relegation and a total lack of ambition or forward thinking from the owners, I don't know what does. Grim times.

Agreed. Although I have always thought Stead has played well for us in the past.

14 minutes ago, Dovster said:

Agreed. Although I have always thought Stead has played well for us in the past.

He might have done but in no way way is he championship half back.

Announced on twitter (but not Facebook yet) that Joe Gibbons has returned on loan from Leeds for the rest of the season, along with prop forward Tom Nicholson-Watton. Very happy with this one, I thought Gibbons looked a cut above the rest of our back row options in the few games he played before his injury.