Widnes coach Betts refusing to underestimate Wakefield

Widnes coach Denis Betts knows that underestimating Wakefield is a foolish thing to do.

The Vikings welcome the Wildcats to the Select Security Stadium on Sunday, and Betts believes that the visitors can pose a whole host of testing questions to his men.

“We’ve been in some tremendous contests with Wakefield,” he said.

“If you look at them now, and at their form towards the end of last year, after we played them at Wakefield, and you see how well they finished the season off.

“Then they started this season with a great deal of skill and pride in their performances.

“Everybody’s written them off, and that’s given them a fire in their belly.

“They’re a good side. In Tim Smith they’ve got someone who gives them good control.

“Jacob Miller, Paul McShane and Pita Godinet give them lots of variation on the ball.

“Then through Ali Lauitiiti, Danny Kirmond and Craig Hall at the back – they’ve got a strong group.

“That underdog mentality when you know you can play is a good place to be.

“They know that they can play, they know that they’ve got some quality in their side, and if you underestimate them, then you’re in for a very long day.”

Betts also knows that taking any team likely in Super League is a recipe for disaster.

“I don’t think there are any easy fixtures throughout the season,” he said.

“I think this is a very tough fixture. But we’re at home, and we’ve got a chance of getting a good home performance in again, after the way we played against Wigan.

“I’m confident in our levels of performance and focus being good this weekend.

“But this is the game of rugby league. You’ve got to keep working at those things, and you know that the team taht runs out and faces you have always got a chance.

“That’s the way it works in rugby league – if you don’t stay focused and pay attention to detail, and you don’t turn up with the right attitude, you’ll get beat.”