PROP Ben Kavanagh has signed a three-year Super League contract with the Vikings.

With his current deal due to expire at the end of the 2011 campaign, club bosses acted fast to secure the services of the Halifax-born forward for the 2012-14 seasons.

Ben initially joined the Vikings on loan at the start of 2008 from Wigan, making his debut in a 38-4 ‘away’ victory over Blackpool. His early performances immediately persuading the club to negotiate a fee with the Warriors to make ‘Kav’ a permanent addition to the Widnes squad.

Since then he has played in 93 matches, scoring 14 tries in the process, and his unbroken run currently standing at 72 games is testimony to both his consistent performances and fitness levels.

Vikings’ Director of Rugby Paul Cullen, expressed his delight at retaining the services of the versatile 23 year-old, “Ben has successfully delivered potential into performance from Academy to Championship level on a consistent, durable basis. We have no doubt that he can be challenged to repeat this at Super League level.”

Ben Kavanagh meanwhile insisted that putting pen to paper wasn’t a massive decision for him and it caused him no sleepless nights whatsoever; “I’m really enjoying myself at Widnes and I have done since day one, that’s why I’ve signed this extended deal with the club.

“Before looking too far ahead, we’ve already got a great squad in place and despite a few set-backs, we’re definitely heading in the right direction. At the end of the day, the players want what the fans want and there’s no reason why we can’t go further this season and in the years to come.

“Performing in front of the Vikings’ fans is a special experience for me and something I look forward to doing each and every week and hopefully we can go on to achieve big things together.”