Allen signs Widnes extension

Hometown back-rower Dave Allen has signed a one-year contract extension at the Stobart Stadium.

Allen, 27, is in his second spell with the Vikings and is now committed to the club until the end of the 2014 season.

He said: “I’m absolutely made up to have signed a new deal at the club.

“Widnes is my hometown team and I’ve never had any intention of moving elsewhere, so tying myself to the club until the end of 2014 was an easy decision to reach.

“Personally, I’m really enjoying my rugby at the moment and I’m already feeling confident about how we will perform as a team next year.

“Just being around the place at the moment, there’s a really good vibe and everything seems to be pointing in the right direction and collectively, we are all keen to put a few wrongs right in 2013.”

Allen made his Super League debut back in 2003 for Wigan, alongside new Widnes team-mate Kevin Brown, who has recently joined the club from Huddersfield.

He made his first Vikings appearance in National League 1 in 2006, spending time at Oldham and Barrow before returning to Widnes for the 2010 season.

Head Coach Denis Betts said: “Over the past few years, Dave has proven in the Championship competition that he is a Super League player and last season he was definitely one of our stand out performers. He went into 2012 desperate to prove a point and he did that, and truly warmed to the full-time Super League environment.

“Dave is a player who turns up and performs in every single game and continually proves his worth to both the team and the organisation, and we were always keen to offer him an extension to his current contract.

“As a coaching staff and as a club, we think a great deal of Dave and we are delighted that he will remain a part of our group.”