Widnes Vikings duo sign new deals

Widnes have retained the services of Kenny Baker and Deon Cross.

League Express can reveal the pair have both put pen to paper on new deals at the Select Security Stadium.

It comes as a boost to Vikings coach Tim Sheens, with Baker in particularly courting Super League interest before committing to the club.

Cross joined the club from Barrow and scored six tries in as many games before the season was called off.

Former North Wales Crusader Baker also impressed in his opening six appearances of the season after making the move from the League 1 club.

He crossed for three tries in six games, which is understood to have attracted interest from Toronto Wolfpack before they withdrew from Super League.

But he has now committed to the club, with the Vikings now pressing forward with their recruitment drive for next season.

Meanwhile, Widnes issued a rallying call to their fans in a statement after the 2020 Championship season was cancelled.

The Vikings have suffered a turbulent last 24 months and the club warned that the Coronavirus crisis could “jeopardise all of the hard work of the club and our dedicated supporters.”

“Despite the incredible backing of our supporters, we have reached another crucial crossroads in the future of our club, with no-one at fault for the situation we find ourselves in,” the statement read.

“Our biggest task is to now understand the impact that the cancellation of the 2020 season will have upon our finances, especially in relation to season ticket holders.

“Over the coming days we will be assessing various options with regards to the costs and implications of reimbursing our season ticket holders. This will then inform our decisions on future planning with regards to our budget and, depending on the findings of this, we may need to incur debt in the form of loans to meet this unforeseen cost.”