WIDNES VIKINGS coach Allan Coleman is looking forward to having another crack at London Broncos – in the league, the 1895 Cup final and potentially the play-offs.
And he will take inspiration from the capital side themselves, who in both 2018 and 2023, upset the odds to claim second-tier promotion triumphs over Toronto in Canada and Toulouse in France respectively.
Having been beaten 44-12 in London in round one of the Championship in January, Widnes will host the Broncos in the return fixture on Sunday, August 2.
The 1895 Cup final is on Monday, August 31, at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium (3pm).
That’s less than a week before the start of the play-offs, with Widnes well on track for involvement after six straight wins (and nine in all competitions).
London lead the table, with the Vikings fifth, while Widnes lined up their final showdown via a 52-0 home semi-final win over Rochdale.
It’s a second final appearance for the club once dubbed the ‘Cup Kings’ after that of 2019, the inaugural year of the competition when Sheffield won 36-18 at Wembley.
And while the big match has now been taken away from the national stadium, Coleman is thrilled to be involved in his third season in charge.
“It’s a big thing for us to get there and great our fans can watch us in a final,” said the former Swinton boss after an eighth straight win in all competitions.
“We’ve been playing well. Of course we want to keep that going, but there’s still a long way to go this season.
“Everyone knows that London are full-time and packed full of top players, but playing them is a great challenge, and there have been plenty of examples of unexpected results over the years, particularly between Championship sides.”
Winger Ryan Ince has extended his contract by two years.