Widnes head coach Dennis Betts is set to give new signing Corey Thompson his first taste of action against local rivals Warrington Wolves this Sunday.
Thompson arrived from Canterbury Bulldogs in the close season, where he featured in the 2014 NRL Grand Final.
Eager to get stuck into his first appearance for the Vikings, Thompson told the club’s official website the club have big aspirations for the 2016 season.
“Top eight should be no problem for us,” he said. “We should expect more than just to finish in the top eight. I think we should be a threat to Super League and push for higher.
“We’ve got a lot of young talents, like Matty Whitley, who’s a young bloke who’s going to go far.
“A few of the academy players have been training with us and I didn’t notice how young they were to be honest.
“The way they train and put themselves forward you would think they were older and had a lot of experience.
“A lot of them haven’t played Super League yet, but they’ll be good in the future.”
