Vikings centre Charly Runciman says he is enjoying his time at the Club and is looking forward to testing himself against the best in Super League.
Runciman, 22, has had time to settle in Widnes since his arrival ahead of the Super 8s, when he marked his debut with a brace of tries in the win over Halifax.
The signing from St George-Illawarra Dragons went on to score seven tries in his seven appearances for the Club.
He spoke to Allan Rooney about pre-season, his impressions of new signings Corey Thompson and Chris Bridge and how he thinks the Vikings should be targeting more than a place in the top eight.
“I’ve been here for a few months now and I’m well settled in. We’ve all been training really hard and it’s been a great pre-season so far. There is lots of competition for places and lots of outside backs, especially with Corey (Thompson) and Bridgey (Chris Bridge) coming along.
“They’ve both played a lot of first grade. Bridgey brings a lot of experience from Warrington and some of the big games he’s played, he’s good to learn from and you can tell how good of a player he is.
“Corey is going to be exciting for the fans to watch. He was a prolific try scorer back home, so I think the fans will see how good he is when he starts playing.
“It doesn’t take too long for new players to settle in, especially here in Widnes, as there’s a great culture at the club and it’s quite easy for the boys to fit in.”
“It’s probably turned out better than I expected. Just the way I was able to settle and enjoy my footy.
“I’d like to see us do well as a team. As long as we’re getting the wins, with the format of the league every game matters. Even if you make the top eight, if you’re not in touch with the top four, then it doesn’t matter. I think it’s important as a team that we can win week in week out and push for that top four spot and on to the finals.
“There’s no reason why we can’t be in the top four and no reason why we can’t go on and win the competition. I understand that over here the expectations are different for different clubs but there’s definitely no reason why we can’t.
“We were in the Middle 8s when I came over, so I probably won’t really find out what Super League is like week in week out until the season starts. The games against Hull KR and Salford were pretty tough at times, and you could tell the difference between a Super League side and a Championship side. It’ll be interesting to find out.
“I’m looking forward to playing against the better teams like Leeds. It’ll be good to match up against Kallum Watkins and players like that, and test myself against some of the best players over here.”
Watch Charly and the Vikings squad in action this weekend when Warrington Wolves visit the Select Security Stadium for the Festive Derby on Sunday December 27 (3pm kick-off).
Widnes Vikings v Warrington Wolves, Select Security Stadium, Sunday 27 December, 3pm
Stronghold Members Price
Adult £14
Concession £10
Junior £6
General Advanced Ticket Price
Adult £16
Concession £12
Junior £7
*All general ticket prices subject to £2 increase on matchday
