Cassidy hails iPitch as Widnes players return

James Gordon

Widnes assistant coach Mick Cassidy says the iPitch at the Stobart Stadium will be an invaluable asset for the club over the winter months.

In previous years, Cassidy and head coach Denis Betts have often found problems in securing facilities for the club to use, owing to bad weather conditions and unavailability.

However, with the Vikings players now back in pre-season training, this is no longer the case thanks to the 4G artificial pitch at their home ground, which was installed last winter ahead of the club’s return to Super League in 2012.

Cassidy told the club’s official website: “The i-pitch is fantastic and when it’s frozen, sodden or too heavy underfoot elsewhere, we will be unaffected and able to go about our business as usual.

“The i-pitch is literally 50 metres away from the Gym and it’s a similar distance to our ice-bath. We can also get our lunch and do our recovery work on site too, which shortens our day and makes our sessions more intense and much more beneficial for all concerned.”

Five of Widnes’ six wins in 2012 came at home, as they finished bottom of the Super League table.

They have added Huddersfield captain Kevin Brown and Wigan pair Stefan Marsh and Joe Mellor to their squad for the 2013 campaign.