WIDNES coach Denis Betts says he was close to signing Stanton Albert, who has replaced the Kato Ottio in the Vikings roster, before the death of the tragic Kumuls star.
Betts was talking after Ottio – who died after a training session this week at just 23 – was honoured at a pre-season game against Whitehaven, which Widnes won 62-0 at Select Security Stadium.
A wreath was laid on a Papua New Guinea flag as a minute’s silence was observed. Another PNG player, Wellington Albert, has signed for Widnes for 2018.
“Wellington will be a big part of our squad as Kato was going to be,” said Betts. “We’re going to support him in different ways, we’ve managed to bring his brother over as well, which is going to be a real positive with him.
“I’d look at Stanton a couple of times as well but I’d already agreed for Kato to come. Wellington, I was after with the size and that and Stanton was just on the outside of that.
“It just so happens it fits really well now. We need somebody to support him.
“I’ve got a couple of front rowers who won’t start the season because of injury and I’ve got a couple coming in who will hopefully give us some real big punch.”
Discussing the reaction of his players to a traumatic week, the coach commented; “I just think they’ve responded really well. It’s been a strange week. Not knowing the bloke, him not being in the group, makes it a bit easier.
“We’ve not really had any real contact with him but some of the lads know people who know him.
“I’ve spoken to him a number of times and met him once. It’s just … the hardest thing is for the game itself. It’s just a shocking thing across all sports. For something like that to happen to a 22-year-old sportsman, that’s what is really tough to take. We move on.
“We’ve done some really good stuff here in the past. The stuff we did at the Magic (Weekend), the way we carry ourselves as an organisation, that’s what really pushed us through here. We feel that he was a member of our squad. It’s tragic what’s happened to him and we’re trying to support everything around him and the people that were involved with him.”
Vikings fans are raising money for Kato Ottio’s family.
“It’s 14,000 (pounds) and more and it could be more because we’re going to keep going until the Catalan game, it could be 20,000,” said Betts.
“It’s a massive tribute from the people of this town and the club.”
