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Widnes captain Kevin Brown has brushed off predictions that the Vikings will be Super League’s whipping boys – and says the club has the best squad he has led.

Former Great Britain ­international Garry Schofield has been among pundits tipping Widnes to finish bottom of the pile this year.

But Brown says the ­addition of Warrington utility Chris Bridge, among others, will make the Vikings better-placed to make the top eight.

Speaking at the Super League launch in Manchester ahead of next week’s start to the season, Brown, 31, said: “Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.

“We finished ninth last year and we’ve been a club that has been down there for the last four years because we’re a new club in Super League.

(Image: Rex)

“But if he’d have said we would have finished first I wouldn’t have laid back with a cigar in my mouth.

“It’s his opinion and that doesn’t matter to me. I will train just as hard Monday morning whether he says we will finish first or last – it doesn’t bother me one bit.

“I’ve not been this excited for a long time, and this is the best side I’ve played in for a long time.

“When I first signed at Widnes we had to have basic team meetings and tell people how to defend – the real basics.

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“Now we’ve got these ­experienced NRL players and Chris Bridge, and we can start at a different level.

“We’ve got quality all over the field, and the most exciting thing is that we’re not finished – we’ve got Chris Houston coming over from Australia on Monday.

“You can put as much coaching as you want into individuals, but if you go and get Bridge, Setaimata Sa and Corey Thompson, you can’t replicate that type of ­experience. Last year we lost a few games where maybe we didn’t have enough talent – we worked really hard and you could never fault us for our effort.

“But the talent was lacking a little touch. Yet we were a whisker away from the eight, and now we’ve definitely added a bit of cream.

“We turned a real good St Helens’ side over on Sunday and it’s exciting for me as a captain to lead this great bunch of lads.”

* CHAMPIONSHIP ­favourites Leigh Centurions are looking for a new coach on the eve of the season after Paul Rowley resigned for “personal reasons”.