St Helens have made the decision for one of their promising talents to play the remainder of the season out on loan.
A deal has been formalised that will see Will Roberts finish the season with Championship outfit Widnes Vikings, where Roberts has spent the last few weeks on loan anyway.
Roberts’ brother Max plays for the Vikings and this deal means the pair will play out the year together as Widnes look to keep their play-off hopes alive.
Allan Coleman’s side are one of those chasing behind the current top six, however, they’ve been distanced in recent weeks and face an uphill battle to make the six.
Sitting six points behind sixth-placed Doncaster, Widnes look likely to need to rely on the results of others whilst winning the majority, if not all, of their seven remaining games. They also have a considerable points difference to negate, currently sitting at minus 91.
‘Surprised he’s not played Super League yet’ – St Helens talent a huge boost for Widnes
As such, retaining Roberts from St Helens for the remainder of the season could help that with the young playmaker having played three times for the Vikings so far this year.
The first of those instances saw him help Widnes to an emphatic 24-4 win over Toulouse, however, tough tests against Doncaster and Bradford ended in defeat these past two weeks.
However, the Vikings have their top six fate in their own hands given the fact they play the four teams below them and the three of the four teams directly above them.
That will start with an away trip to struggling Sheffield this Sunday and the St Helens man is in line to play with head coach Allan Coleman speaking on the extended deal.
“It’s superb news for us. I think Will’s been brilliant since he’s come in,” Coleman explained.
“With Dec Patton back playing and Tom Gilmore not far away, it’s vital we have options in the halves and people playing for jerseys.
“I think he’s shown he’s more than capable of playing at this level, and I’m just surprised he’s not played at Super League yet with the quality he’s got.”
One thing that could concern Widnes is that St Helens do have a recall clause, however, with George Whitby currently sat on the sidelines waiting for his chance, a recall seems unlikely.
📣 Widnes Vikings can confirm that Will Roberts’ loan with the club has been extended until the end of the season!#VikingsForevermorehttps://t.co/9XMyrcUAAA
— Widnes Vikings (@WidnesRL) August 1, 2025
