1. Danny Craven
2. Dean Gaskell
3. Steve Tyrer
4. Tangi Ropati
5. Paddy Flynn
6. Chaz I'anson
7. Anthony Thackeray
8. Steve Pickersgill
9. Kirk Netherton
10. Daniel Heckenberg
11. Simon Finnigan
12. Dave Allen
13. Chris Gerrard

14. Thomas Coyle
15. Gareth Frodsham
16. Lee Doran
17. Ben Kavanagh

18. Kurt Haggerty
19. Macgraff Leuluai
20. Richard Varkulis
21. Tom Kelly
22. James Ford
23. Matt Gardner
24. Shane Grady
25. Gareth Haggerty
26. Dave Houghton
27. Greg Scott
28. Anthony Mullally
29. Danny Hulme
30. Alex Brown


Were very stong in the back row and in the centres this year, the hooking position will leave a question mark hanging over it but i think we also forget that besides Netherton and Coyle we have Chris Lunt who is a very good player. We need another prop for sure and we'll get one. Apart from that i think were pretty much done. When Demetriou comes in i would like to see him perhaps operate in the centre should Tangi or Steve get injured or out of form, his versatility will be useful and his experience. The final bit of the jigsaw would be that experienced half back but im afraid there isnt any about.

Oh and i forgot to mention i think it would be great to operate with no dual reg players next year, if we can somehow get Ben Davies on a season loan that would make my day. Him and Frodsham would be ours for the year.

I think we're looking pretty good. I hope Ford gets a bit of a run in the side, by the way. Craven is still young and waiting to discover where his position is, not to mention he's only slight. He's got time on his side and I think Betts should steadily bleed him into the side, and the same goes for Alex Brown.

simon finnigan will play 13 this year i reckon let his experiance be used all over the field instead of locking him in on 1 side plus his line running will destroy teams in this league let him go were he wants,is jd a forgone conclusion or just a rumour if true he needs to play in the pack also,someone of his experiance,strength and work rate would really help the pack,could there be a change of skipper this year also with the new signings and possible other new signings and a new coach and his thoughts

When / if he regains fitness Gareth Haggerty will be in the 17 every week.

The Vicar

Yep, i just hope this is the last of his bad injuries, a devastating player on his day.

Proper looking forward to this season, can't come quick enough!

quite a decent looking squad just wondering really what are peoples thoughts on who in the squad do you feel will be there this time next year if widnes are sucessfull in there bid for super league given the stepup, also if someone could tell me on whos club trained ect and who are on loan that would be great

I see Greg Scott has got a shirt number this year. Do you think he will get much 1st team game time this season? He's a mate of mine so just curious as to how he is progressing.

No Lee Doran on that list ???

going back to my post would be good to hear who would be here this time next year if you was succesfull in getting back in super league considering the stepup to super league, and who are club trained in that squad and who are the loan players ?

Hi airliebird.

1. Danny Craven - club-trained. A star in the making, can't wait to see him develop into an SL player.
2. Dean Gaskell - probably his last year with us.
3. Steve Tyrer - one-year deal so will be out to impress for a SL deal.
4. Tangi Ropati - same as Tyrer.
5. Paddy Flynn - club-trained. Still got potential and I'd imagine he'll be in our squad regardless of where we'll be in 2012.
6. Chaz I'anson - Signed from Hull KR full-time. Not sure how long for, but he's likely to be in the mix for a SL deal.
7. Anthony Thackeray - Focal point of our squad.
8. Steve Pickersgill - Signed from Warrington, not club-trained. He's a maybe.
9. Kirk Netherton - Signed from Cas last year. Don't think he's good enough for a SL deal.
10. Daniel Heckenberg - Australian. SL class.
11. Simon Finnigan - Was in the Penrith Academy so not home-grown.
12. Dave Allen - From Widnes but was in Wigan's academy. Thin he and Finno have SL rugby in them, maybe.
13. Chris Gerrard - Wigan's academy. Big year for him as I rate him highly. Only young.

14. Thomas Coyle - Wigan youngster. Not SL class.
15. Gareth Frodsham - On loan from St Helens
16. Kurt Haggerty - Signed from Blackpool, has a lot to prove.
17. Ben Kavanagh - Signed from Wigan, he's class. Think he'll be in SL before long.

18. Macgraff Leuluai - Signed from Leigh.
19. Richard Varkulis - Probably his last year with us.
20. Tom Kelly - Home-grown, quite a few first team games under his belt. Good prospect.
21. James Ford - In the wilderness
22. Matt Gardner - Rubbish
23. Shane Grady - Homegrown, his development has stalled. Jury is out on him.
24. Gareth Haggerty - Played for Widnes earlier in his career, not sure where he started? Can anyone shed any light if he's from our own academy, I seem to remember him being in our under-21s all those years ago? If fit, possibly a SL player.
25. Dave Houghton - club-trained.
26. Greg Scott ???
27. Anthony Mullally - club-trained
28. Danny Hulme club-trained
29. Alex Brown club-trained, rated highly

Greg Scott played all his amateur rugby at Orrell St James' (Wigan) and was picked up by Widnes a few years back (maybe 2/3 years ago?). Don't know if that qualifies him for Club Trained or not?

I suppose it depends on his age when he signed for us. If he was 16 or 17 or so I would say the cub could say they have developed him if he goes through the ranks etc.

He's 19 now so I would say he was probably 16 when he signed. Possibly 17.

Don't think Paddy Flynn counts as club trained in the official sense of the word. You have to complete 3 full years at the club before your 21st birthday. A quick google search will tell you that he was still playing for Thatto Heath in 2006 and he has just turned 23 now. If we picked him up for the 2007 season, he was already 19 mkaing it impossible for him to club trained for us.

Paddy needs a big year for 2011, he's gone of the boil lately.

Put up him outside Tyrer and watch him shine! He went off the boil when Toa bowed out mainly due to lack of service IMO. Looking above, Greg Scott will defibately end up club trained and do we miss out on Paddy if never been a junior elsewhere? Not a major deal but would be a shame!

Always been a big fan of Paddy. Just wish he didn't do so much work as to be completely knackered later on in the game. If Craven wasn't such a decent looking fullback I would have persisted with Flynn there.

Dont think it was as much a case of going of the boil ,more lacking centres with ability to get there winger in space. When at times you have Haggerty and Varkulis there , both more suited to the pack , wingers will struggle. For me he will thrive outside Ropati . Thought Paddy had a very good season on the whole last year.

The Vicar

Also as J20 has said, he does that much work in the middle of the pitch, he's not doing himself any favours. A typical set of 6 will see Paddy chase back and take the 1st drive, usually followed by the other winger or fullback and Paddy will then take the 3rd drive. Even if we did make a break in that set, Paddy is going to be a) too knackered to sprint away and b) probably not even on his wing to recieve the ball.

IMO Paddy had a better season in 2009 than in 2010. In 2009 when he was fresh on the scene, he caught people off guard down the middle and made quite a few breaks. This season, however, I can't remember too many breaks and more often than not he was being flattened by opposition forwards. Its not Paddy's job to run at props down the middle and he's lucky he hasn't been injured doing one of his suicide runs. Hopefully with a new coach, he'll stay more on his wing, as for too long now we've relied on our backs to drive the ball out of own half. It was a novelty to begin with watching Gaskell and Flynn both hammering down the middle, but its worn very thin and doesn't work IMO.

tyrer n paddy were good together at the back end of 08 season and with 2 more added years of sl experiance for tyrer since then stick him outside him again let them reek havock together.get a fresh combo on the otherside with ropati n gaskell