Widnes swoop for Finnigan

Widnes have signed back-rower Simon Finnigan from Huddersfield for his second spell with the Vikings.

Finnigan, 28, has signed a one-year deal with an option for a further year and returns to the Halton Stadium having left following Widnes’ relegation in 2005.

Born in Warrington, he learned his trade at Penrith Panthers in the NRL before moving to Widnes in 2003, playing 73 times for the Vikings, before moves to Salford, Bradford and Huddersfield where he has racked up almost 200 Super League appearances.

A Widnes club statement said: “As a player, he is renowned for his hard-work ethic as well as an uncanny eye for the try line and his wealth of experience will be invaluable to pass on to some of the young Vikings starlets. He has all the right attributes both on and off the field that the Vikings are looking for in 2011 and beyond.”

Finnigan, who represented Ireland at the 2008 World Cup, missed just three games from 31 for Widnes in their 2005 relegation season, scoring 12 tries.

He was the leading try-scoring forward in Super League in 2006, scoring 13 for Salford, and scored a brace of tries on his debuts for both Bradford and Huddersfield.