Betts hoping Vikings enjoy cup distraction

Denis Betts will urge his players to use Sunday’s Challenge Cup tie at Warrington as a springboard to better fortunes for the rest of the season.

Last Sunday saw the Vikings’ blow a 22-4 lead against Hull to lose 33-22 and stay bottom of the Super League table, but Betts believes his team can spring a surprise in their sixth round clash with the Wolves.

“We did some good stuff in the second half (against Hull), but we looked like a side that’s just hanging in there,” Betts told the club’s official website.

“If you want to be a top side you’ve got to recognise it’s an 80-minute game. We’ve put three or four really good 40 minutes together, we just haven’t got any rewards for any of those at this moment in time.

“The Warrington game is massive and it’s one of those games you can look at in the season and think this is where our season hinges now.

“We’re not going to win the Grand Final although we’ve still got a possibility mathematically at making the eights if we go on some fantastic run, but one thing Sunday offers us is giving something back to our supporters and what better way than against our biggest rivals.

“If you can’t get up for these kind of games, then you’re in the wrong game really and that’s the message this week.

“We felt sorry for ourselves after the Hull game, but we’ve had some individual chats with the players and they recognised that there was some good stuff.

“Now we need to build on that and really put a performance together this week.”