Rugby League: Wilting Widnes the Right Match for Millward

Ian Millward misses a chance for a chat with Jose Mourinho tomorrow as an inconvenient Super League fixture at Widnes will prevent his Wigan Warriors seeing the first ever Premiership football match at the JJB Stadium.

While Wigan Athletic are taking on the might of Chelsea, the contrast could hardly be greater as Millward's team set about racking up a routine win, at least on the evidence of Widnes's form.

The Vikings conceded a club-record 74 points at Bradford last Sunday, a fifth consecutive defeat which suggested they are already resigned to relegation even though it is not yet a mathematical certainty.

Wigan have more to play for, with the chance to close to within two points of sixth-placed London unless the Broncos pull off a shock at Leeds tonight. That would preserve the Warriors' chances of avoiding a first failure to reach the play-offs since they were introduced in 1998 - although London's win at Hull has left Wigan with a tough task as their next three games are against Leeds, Hull and St Helens.

Wigan have struggled against Widnes this season, moreover, winning 32-20 there in March and needing a late Dennis Moran drop goal to edge out the Vikings 23-22 at home the following month, one of Denis Betts's last games as coach.

But Millward enjoyed his most comfortable win since succeeding Betts with a 40-12 thrashing of Salford last Friday and with Brian Carney fit and Terry Newton continuing despite a hip injury, the Warriors should ensure at least one good result for Wigan.

Tomorrow's other Super League fixtures are no more appetising, with a visit from Salford offering Bradford the chance to continue their revival while the Challenge Cup finalists Hull are at home to a Leigh team, whose relegation has finally been confirmed.

In the LHF National League the top two meet in Cumbria where Whitehaven have the chance to move two points clear of Castleford, who may slip to third with a defeat.

In Wales tomorrow Bridgend Blue Bulls face Torfaen Tigers in the grand final of its section of the Conference. Bridgend, led by the player-coach Kevin Ellis and his former international team-mate John Devereux, had a first loss to Welsh opposition in four years when they went down 42-40 to the Pontypool-based Tigers last month, but they do have home advantage at Brewery Field.

The Welsh champions play the winners of today's southern play-off between South London Storm and West London Sharks next week for a place in the national grand final.