Championship club announce latest Super League signing as ex-St Helens man joins

Championship outfit Widnes Vikings have announced the signing of former St Helens forward McKenzie Buckley.

Buckley has signed a one-year deal and he’ll be looking to kick on and prove himself in the Championship following his release by the Saints. The 20-year-old is no stranger to first-team action having made his debut for his hometown clubs in 2022.

He failed to make another senior outing for the Super League outfit, though, with game time over the last couple of seasons coming in the colours of North Wales Crusaders and Whitehaven.

As such, the back-rower is determined to make an impact at Widnes in 2025.

“I’m buzzing to be coming in this season,” Buckley told the Widnes Vikings club website. “It’s an exciting year for me and I just want to showcase what I can do and help the team as much as I can.

“I’m still a young player and have a lot to learn but I’d like to think I’d offer more of a physical presence in the team.

“I love the contact aspect of the game and I’m a powerful runner so I think that will help the team for next year.”

Speaking of his latest signing, Allan Coleman said: “McKenzie Buckley was in that first-team squad at St Helens last year. He’s a player with bags of potential and that excites me, to see the talent he has got.

“He’ll be a great player in the Championship. He’s young, enthusiastic, and keen to prove himself in the game.

“I coached him previously when he was younger and I think he’s the kind of player we need in this squad. So I’m really excited to see the player McKenzie turns into for us.”

McKenzie has joined the likes of Brett Bailey, Dec Patton and Lewis Hall in making the switch to the DCBL Stadium.