Widnes Vikings land deal for World Cup star in significant coup

Widnes Vikings have completed an 18-month deal to sign Italian World Cup star Jake Maizen.

The Championship side have bolstered their ranks for the rest of this season with the capture of Maizen, who has spent time with the likes of Halifax and Whitehaven throughout his career.

He caught the eye during the 2022 Rugby League World Cup, scoring four tries in three games for the Azzurri, including a memorable hat-trick against Scotland.

That led to him beginning his career in England and despite returning to Australia at the end of last season, Maizen is now back in the Championship with the Vikings.

He said: “I’m super excited to have signed until the end of 2026, I can’t wait to get over there and hopefully add to what is a really strong squad.

“I’m hoping we can make a real push for the playoffs and carry that momentum into next year. I want to say a big thank you to Allan (Coleman) and the board for giving me the opportunity to represent such a proud club.”

Vikings coach Allan Coleman added: “It’s brilliant to get Jake on board, as I’m sure everyone is aware, we wanted to get him ahead of the start of the season, but couldn’t get it over the line.

“There has been a lot of hard work that has gone on behind the scenes to get this done, and I’m really excited to get such a talented player on board.”

He added: “He’s a player I really admire and he’s a talented rugby player who has bags of pace, which is something we’re desperate for.

“As soon as he arrives in the country, he’ll be straight into contention to get into the team, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the impact he can have.”

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