Betts rues lack of desire after half-time

Widnes head coach Denis Betts gave a damning verdict about the way his side responded after the half-time interval.

The Vikings crashed to a third Super League defeat as the Tigers left the Select Security Stadium with a 34-0 victory.

“The start of the second-half I needed a response,” he said.

“Whether we would go on to score points or win the game I wasn’t really concerned with that.

“I just wanted to see a little bit of desire to want to get back in the fight and that’s something I don’t think I’ve ever seen in this group.”

Although the Vikings made the brighter start and had several chances to score in the opening quarter, Betts was quick to commend the defensive efforts of the Tigers.

“Castleford defended really well,” he added.

“We got over the try line a couple of times but they held us up.

“That was great resilience and work ethic from them and it’s one of those things they’ve talked about tidying up from the last couple of years.”

Betts admitted it was hard to defend against some of the skill involved during the build-up to several of Castleford’s tries.

“[Greg] Eden scores a try off a blind flick pass from [Michael] Shenton,” he said.

“It’s fantastic to watch but you don’t see it come off very often.

“Before you know it they’re 18-0 up.”

Although Betts identified areas for improvement he did admit his side came up against a much stronger outfit.

“I can be disappointed with some of the things in the game but when you watch the way Castleford play especially in patches in that game,” he said.

“When they got a foothold in the game they were hard to hold.

“They’re a pretty good side to watch even if we’re in pain watching it.”­