Brown settling in at Widnes

New Widnes signing Kevin Brown says he is loving life at the Stobart Stadium, since completing his move from Huddersfield.

Brown, 27, penned a four-year deal with the Vikings back in May and has recently joined up with his new team mates in pre-season training.

He said: “The team spirit is fantastic, and we’re combining enjoyment with a lot of hard work and preparation for what’s ahead. I’m sure the boys are going to be fit and raring to go for whatever is put in front of them.

“As a group, we looked at some of the results from the beginning of last season, then compared them to how the team finished the year, and the massive improvement was there for all to see.”

Brown is the only new face at Widnes, with their only other two signings coming in the shape of Wigan pair Stefan Marsh and Joe Mellor, who were both on loan at the club last season.

The former Huddersfield captain added: “Everybody at the club is in unison and working well together. This has allowed us to knuckle down from day one and concentrate on building a strong chemistry across the squad.

“We are well aware that many people will still choose to write us off as ‘not very good’, but within the camp our belief is strong, so we’ll be hoping to surprise a few of them in 2013. I don’t think we necessarily deserve this lack of respect, but having said that, we do need to earn our status as an established Super League side and we intend to do just that through our performances.”

Brown’s first appearance in a Widnes shirt could come in the Boxing Day friendly against Warrington, while he may also face an immediate return to former club Huddersfield, with the teams due to meet at the John Smith’s Stadium on January 20th.

Widnes have also been benefiting from the use of their artifical iPitch, which has meant the bulk of their pre-season programme has been held at their home ground, a stark contrast to last season when they were travelling around the north west on the look out for playable pitches.