Big game for more than just a 1/4 final.
After Widnes blew early season form out of the window, this realisticly is their only chance of silverware.
8th in the play offs and 10+ adrift of 4th will confine them to dead rubbers as it did Us Hull and Cats last season.

Game management from us must be adhered too.

I know....I meant quarter not semi.

I agree I still don't fully trust this squad just yet to deliver what they are capable of and that's a bit glass half empty of me as we are sitting comfortably in the league and bodies are coming back......but it is Widnes and as you said in reality it's all that they have to play for so nothing to be taken for granted

Be interesting to see how Betts sees this one. Widnes still have to play Leeds, Saints away, plus Catalan and Salford at home. That's a tricky run in although they do only need another 2 points to be safe from the 'Championship Challenge'. I suppose they should be safe, so yes perhaps Widnes will throw the kitchen sink at this game.

Simms missing for this one too!

Is it wrong for me to not be d if we lose, so we can get some breaks for players in the forth coming weeks?

very wrong..i want a trip to wembley,,the day im not d about us losing is the day you can cart me off to the funny farn

very wrong..i want a trip to wembley,,the day im not d about us losing is the day you can cart me off to the funny farn

It's a tough one for your lot.

Beat us and you are one step away from another CC final and a great chance of winning it again.

Lose to us and you'll be trolled to death til next year by some but, by the same token, losing to us lets you concentrate on the elusive prize of Champions.

It looks to me to be a three horse race this year with yourselves, Hull and Wigan (if they can get their big players back for the later games).

I know which one you would all prefer, I will just be happy to get to another semi-final giving us chance to assault another mascot live on BBC.

Good luck for Friday.

As I believe I said in the Catalan game thread, this season has been a stroll in the park and the squad look fresh as a daisy. Chris Hill in particular looks as though he has just come back from 4 weeks in Majorca.

I expect players to die in their boots before letting Widnes win this one. Its off to the naughty step for you.

I am more wary of teams that have ex wire players/ coaches in the team and on the coaching staff. Dragons had a decent game plan on Friday to kick to touch. Take time for the scrum to form so it takes a bit of heat out of the game. That must have come from monaghan. Hodgson will have his input into the widnes gamelan just like he did last year. They cannot play as badly as they did last Thursday. They should have won by 12.

Chris hill looks about as fresh as a daisy that has been grown, mowed, stomped on and put in a compost bin for 6 months, he was ready for being subbed within minutes of the kick off, and testament to the guy he kept going, he deserves to be our marquee player for what he's doing.


And to the others, i don't want us to lose, not really, but i've been to the challenge cup, we've won it, i'd much rather win the grand final now, thats the holy grail, the most coveted trophy now.

I'll take a defeat now to freshen up some knackered bodies going through august into september.