Denis Betts believes the Qualifiers present his Widnes side the opportunity to right some wrongs following a disappointing campaign.
The Vikings are preparing to fight for their Super League status for the remainder of the season having finished bottom of the league after 23 rounds.
Speaking to the media at his press conference today, Betts claimed their opening three fixtures will be pivotal to their hopes of remaining in the top flight.
Widnes start with the visit of their local rivals Warrington before taking on Championship part-timers Halifax and Featherstone in the following two rounds.
“We’ve put everything on the line and we’ll see who can stand up and show their character and determination to right a few wrongs this year,” he said.
“We’ve underperformed, the players feel like we’ve underperformed and at times we’ve let ourselves down and our supporters down, but I think they can see there’s a desire there and when they’ve seen that they’ve got behind us.
“We’re at home which is a huge advantage then we have two Championship sides so our start is really important to us.”
Betts claimed that one of the biggest battles is to overcome the enormity of the challenge from a mental perspective.
“It’s a completely different competition, it’s very bizarre for any player to be in this situation,” he said.
“It’s a tough competition because even though some of the Championship teams are part-time, they’ve got three or four games of their lives and they have something they’re really striving towards. We’re trying to protect something and they’re trying to gain something so it’s a completely different mindset.”