Widnes Vikings’ chairman wants to retain Denis Betts - Rugby League News
Angry fans want Denis Betts, Widnes Vikings’ head coach, to be replaced after his disappointing stint with the club but Widnes’ chairman, Steve O'Connor, wants to give the embattled coach another chance. O’Connor made his thoughts public on Thursday, September
15 on the official website of the team.
The Widnes Vikings’ coach is going through a rough patch with five successive defeats for his club, which has angered Widnes’ fan following, who want the coach to step down from his responsibilities after the losing streak.
Betts returned to rugby league as Widnes’ head coach in November 2010, after spending four years in the alternate code of the game with Gloucester. His contract with the Vikings was revised in May and extended his stay by two more years.
His current spell at Vikings has turned murky with the much talked about five defeats, which have cost the franchise heavily. With the recent string of defeats, the club is no longer part of the play-offs, which is a major let down for the club’s fans.
While speaking about his agenda at the Vikings, O'Connor’s stated, "The board and I stand firmly behind Denis. He is a British coach who has intellect and integrity and I would ask our members to show some tolerance."
He further added, "Denis will be judged on the performance of the squad over the coming seasons and the effectiveness of his recruitment for the Super League licence period."
This statement has made it quite clear to all fans that despite the worry that has gripped supporters, the Vikings have no intentions of replacing Betts with another manager. This means that fans will have to wait and watch because the club is willing to
grace the coach with another chance and would like the fan base to be just as accommodating.
O'Connor has also confirmed that there have been 11 new recruits to the Widnes’ squad. Ten players from the previous seasons will also be marching along. The Chairman added further that the hiring process at the club is not over and the team is still looking
to add some fresh faces to the line-up.
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