Widnes Vikings have released winger Jack Owens.
Owens, 21, had a contract that was due to expire at the end of the 2016 season, but he is now free to find a new club.
“Having looked at the balance of our squad we felt that Pat Ah Van, Paddy Flynn, Stefan Marsh, Rhys Hanbury and Corey Thompson were ahead of Jack in terms of our back three options,” said Vikings coach Denis Betts.
“In addition, in a salary cap managed sport we are tasked with making difficult decisions to facilitate improvement.
“We have already invested heavily in securing the signings of Setaimata Sa, Chris Bridge, Corey Thompson and Charly Runciman. In addition there are a number of contractual upgrades within the existing group of players which further increases the financial investment by the Club into the playing group.
“In order to manage these costs within the constraints of the salary cap it is necessary to make difficult decisions such as this. We therefore agreed to an early release for Jack to allow him to pursue more regular playing opportunities.
“On behalf of everyone at the Club I would like to thank Jack for his contribution to Widnes Vikings and wish him the best of luck in his future career.”
