T'Other Side: Widnes Vikings

    

FIRST TEAM SQUAD

LAST TIME OUT

THIS SEASON'S MATCHES

Head Coach: John Kear

 

John Kear took over the reins as Widnes head coach on July 1^st this year. They had begun the season with Simon Finnigan in charge and when he left at the end of April Ryan O’Brien acted as caretaker coach until John Kear’s arrival.

Kear started the season as Bradford head coach, where he had been since the start of the 2018 season, but following a spate of poor results he departed at the end of April.

Before his time at Bradford Kear had been coach at Bramley (1992), Sheffield Eagles (1997-99), Huddersfield-Sheffield Giants 2000, Hull FC 2005- Apr 2006), Wakefield Trinity Wildcats (Jun 2006-2011) and Batley (2012-2016).

He has also coached the France, England and Wales international teams and will be the Wales coach at the 2022 World Cup.

His played for Castleford from 1978 to 1988, primarily as a winger.

 

 

Captain: Jack Owens

 

Jack Owens made his professional début with Widnes in 2011. In 2015 he played one game for Whitehaven on dual reg and then he joined St. Helens in 2016 playing 28 games in his first year.

After a few games for Saints at the beginning of 2017 he went on loan to Sheffield Eagles in May and signed for them in late July (in order to be able to play for them in the Championship Shield). He spent 2018 at Leigh and returned to Widnes in 2019.

In 2011 he played for the England Academy.

He usually plays at fullback but he has also played on the wing and as a halfback. In 2013 he played four games for Workington on dual reg.

Whilst at St. Helens he played two games for the England U18 team.

 

Loans

 

Widnes have four players on loan. Kieran Dixon and Luis Roberts (from Leigh), Eribe Doro (from Warrington) and Callum Field (from Fev).

 

The Fev Connection

 

The full list of Fev players who also played for Widnes includes some stellar Rovers names. We have singled out three in particular – Liam Finn, Ian Hardman and Tangi Ropati.

One of the players who appeared for both clubs before the 'Summer Era' was John Gilbert who played at centre in our 1983 Challenge Cup winning team. He made his début with Rovers as a 17 year-old in 1977. He became a regular fixture in the team, playing 240 games up until February 1986. He then moved to Widnes for the 1986-87 season but returned to Fev to play three more games before he retired in November 1987.