WIDNES VIKINGS coach Allan Coleman has been left frustrated by the Championship fixture schedule and in his hunt for a replacement fullback for Jake Maizen.
The Vikings went in to their season-opener at London Broncos without a new signing, and forward Lewis Hall joined the injured list after picking up a knock at training.
Coleman had hoped to be bringing in a fullback from overseas, but the only squad movement was halfback Toby Hughes’ loan to Salford.
The boss said: “It’s important that the players we’ve worked with for the last eight to ten weeks go into the season ready and knowing what we want and how we want to do things.
“If we bring somebody new in, I think it’s key that he has a couple of sessions with us and understands how close a group we are.
“Our strength in depth is much better than last year. It’s important we get players not getting in here playing at other clubs, so that when they’re needed they are ready.”
Meanwhile Coleman expressed his frustration at the Championship format and the lack of clarity over the 1895 Cup.
There is set to be yet more disruption too, with the decision to have some teams play two alternative games to replace the lost fixtures against Featherstone.
Losing the Featherstone home game means Widnes could go six weekends without a home match in March and April, and then after their away game at Salford on Friday, May 8, they have a month without a scheduled fixture.
Coleman added: “It’s barmy. I don’t understand how you can have a competition where you don’t play each other once, minimum.
“It is what it is. It’s the same situation for everyone. But I can’t get my head around it. We want to increase gates, we want to increase fans, but how can you do it when you’ve got so many weeks off?
“If someone’s not going to a game of rugby for two or three weeks, they’re going to find something else to do.
“As a coach, it’s no different with my players. I can’t just keep flogging them, I’ve got to keep them interested.
“In May, we play on the eighth and then we might not play until June depending on what happens. That’s four weeks.
“It’s difficult. As a group, we’ve got to get our heads around it and come up with something that works.”