WIDNES VIKINGS coach Allan Coleman is ready to renew acquaintance with North Wales Crusaders when his side heads to Colwyn Bay in round three of the Challenge Cup on Sunday.
And he says the tie will be doubly important as he targets a place in the last 16 of a competition Widnes have won seven times, the last of those triumphs coming in 1984. And he continues preparations for a first league game of the season against Toulouse in France on Saturday week, February 15.
Widnes, who made last year’s Championship play-offs, added to their 36-22 pre-season win at Warrington by seeing off Challenge Cup second-round hosts Rochdale 34-16 with another performance which pleased their coach.
Now they tackle another League One team in North Wales, who they faced in an opposed training session after a planned pre-season match fell victim to last month’s big freeze.
Coleman is friends with Crusaders coach Carl Forster and has inside knowledge of a number of their players.
Backs Ollie Brookes and Lloyd Roby and second rower Sam Wilde switched from Widnes over the close-season, with the new arrivals across the border also including centre Jake Spedding, halfback Jordy Gibson, hooker Josh Eaves and second rower Liam Cooper, who all played under Coleman at his previous club Swinton.
“North Wales will give us another tough test after Rochdale, because both of them have good players and are well coached,” he said.
“I get on well with Carl Forster, I like the way he goes about his job, and we will give them total respect. It’s a tie we’re all looking forward to.
“Of course we want to get through, and it’s also a great opportunity to finalise our side for Toulouse, so the 17 we pick have every incentive to perform.”
New signing Rhys Williams, the Wales and former Super League winger who has moved from Swinton, pouched two tries against Rochdale.
And Coleman continued: “He’s going to bring a lot to the club.”