The RFL really do us no favours. No traditional Good Friday derby clash. In fact, no Good Friday clash whatsoever. No traditional Easter Monday derby, we've got a demoralised Whitehaven. This is just incredible. Where is our clash against Leigh? I know we're short on derby games in this division but you could throw us better than this. We don't even have a game on good friday.

That said, as a kid I missed so much of them down to church, but this friday I'll be sat at home with a few cans watching some great rugby, just wish I was watching the only team that ever matters instead.

I know what you're getting at Chris, but given the state of our injuries playing Leigh on Friday might not be the best idea ever. In fact we'll have enough on getting past Haven on Monday if you ask me!

It is a let down and hits pockets hard of the Championship clubs looking for a good gate. I would rather aviod Leigh for the moment though given our inujury crisis and the rest might be more beneficial to us.


Still a shambles though i agree.

I was thinking that as I posted, we're injury hit at the moment so from that perspective it's done us a favour but we're missing out on two very decent gates here that used to give us a lift.

As for Haven, I think our squad will surprise you. We should beat Haven, we're injury hit but the squad is strong enough for them and Toulouse if we play to our strengths.

Our young Widnes home grown talent will destroy the Haven.

Agree fully. Am simply gutted about our easter schedule but as said mini blessing in disguise and we'll have to enjoy what SKY has to offer instead.

Haven have McNally back so should be better in attack, but there defence has been woefull of late.

Widnes team for Monday, ouch... were do we start!

01 - Yates
02 - Flynn
03 - Kohe (if fit)
04 - Grady
05 - Gardner (if fit)
06 - Gerrard
07 - Thackery
08 - Davies
09 - Smith
10 - Gannon
11 - Doran
12 - Varkulis
13 - Strong

14 - Hume
15 - Houghton (again if fit)
16 - Kavanagh (impact off bench)
17 -Thompson / Mullaly?

That'd be 7/8 Widnes grown products!

Swings and roundabouts, no 2 games in 4 days for an already weakened side.

we where supposed to be away good friday, so missing a game costs us nothing in terms of gate reciepts + gives us a breather with the injuries we have atm.

Young bench but that starting team should beat Haven by a decent score, im informed that Ford will be back.

1. James Ford
2. Paddy Flynn
3. Toa Kohe Love
4. Shayne Grady
5. Matt Gardner
6. Chris Gerrard
7. Anthony Thackeray
8. Ben Davies
9. Mark Smith
10. Jim Gannon
11. Ben Kavanagh
12. Richard Varkulis
13. Lee Doran

14. Dave Houghton
15. Matt Strong
16. Danny Hulme
17. Tom Wood Hulme

Haven are always a pain the ar$e when they come here in the league.

We always seem to get them when they are coming off the back of a poor run and they come here, niggle, keep it tight down the middle and compete well.

Remember having to beat them very late on in two of the last three years and given the injuries we wont have it all our own way.

As said the Good Friday break hopefully gives us a chance to get those who are 50/50 ready for Monday. I think we would struggle to complete two games in 3 days at the moment and it probably has worked out well for us.

Would be very surprised to see Yacca out completely. He will still start at FB because in all honesty he hasn done badly in his spell.

Cant see Tom Wood-Hulme being there either as much as I like him in the reserves. Nothing to suggest he would be called up and given that Jack Smith has a squad number I would have thought he would be more likely to get a bench spot seen as Mullally has disappeared from sight and the new squad photo.

Slightly disagree with Yacca, he gives it a go but isnt good enough. I think Mullally has been dropped from the first team squad due to an incident in town.

I think I have read elsewhere that Mullally got injured in the friendly against Northampton.

Shame about the Friday game, but I honestly think it has turned out to be a blessing given our injury situation. No matter how good a team is, surely its nigh on impossible for Whitehaven (or any team for that matter) to play on Friday and then back it up by playing on Monday against a team who's had a weeks rest.

Personally, I think we've just got to try to pick up the wins against Whitehaven, Toulouse and Lezignan and see where we are then. I'd feel a lot more comfortable if we had a few players back from injury or hopefully new faces in the squad by then. Our run of fixtures after the Lezignan game is pretty tough and not sure we can achieve much this season with the pack missing Allen, Pickersgill and Haggerty.

In light of our injuries, I think we've blessed with the next three fixtures being Haven, Toulouse and Lezignan all at home.

I think in the world it said about the state of the injuries,and Ford,Houghton and Coyle wont be playing Vikingman.My team with them injured and dual away it be as follows.

1.Yates 2.Flynn 3.TKL 4.Grady 5.Gardner 6.Gerrard 7.Thackeray 8.Davies 9.Smith 10.Gannon 11.Varkulis 12.Kavanagh 13.Strong 14.Doran as rotaing prop. 15.hulme 16.Tom Wood Hulme 17.Mullaley/Thompson.

I am not a big fan of Yates,and with squad depleted we not got much choice.Only other option Grady fullback and Thompson playing centre.I would not risk players who are injured and could end up longer out.I am confident even with that team we can win the next few games.

You lot have a 'free' Friday, while our lot play in France and are then expected to play against Batley less than 30 hours after arriving back in the country! Only in rugby league...

The only thing the RFL could have done to stop someone travelling to France would be to give Toulouse the Friday off.

That would make sense and this is RL.

didn't leigh just end up with gateshead's fixtures?

I presume so.

Surely it wasn't that hard to give Toulouse the Friday off and have our annual fixture, this is the RFL after all.