The Vikings are back in the big time and chairman Steve O'Connor has not been afraid to spend, spend, spend this winter.
Betts will have to mould his much-changed squad together quickly
Widnes will be welcomed back into Super League after being awarded a three-year licence - now can they upset a few on their return, or does the wooden spoon beckon?
Last season
The Vikings didn't win the 2011 Co-Operative Championship, but they still hit the jackpot. With the announcement that they would be awarded a place in Super League for the next three years, the club are now back in the big time.
The licence is rich reward for chairman Steve O'Connor, who took over back in 2007 shortly before they lost their place in the top flight. He had always made it his aim to get Widnes back where they belong, putting his money where his mouth is.
O'Connor appointed Denis Betts as coach but he didn't enjoy a great first year in charge, a mixed campaign ending with a fifth straight defeat to exit in the play-offs at the hands of Sheffield Eagles.
However, Betts, along with director of rugby Paul Cullen, probably already had one eye on 2012 by then, with their chairman promising that the club would mark their return to the big time by spending close to the salary cap limit.
The Stobart Stadium did actually see top-flight rugby league last summer though - St Helens made it their temporary home while they waited to move in to Langtree Park. They will be back again this summer, only this time as the visitors.
Ins and outs
Where to start - Widnes have signed no fewer than 16 players, the majority of whom have come from Super League clubs.
The demise of Crusaders proved to be particularly productive; Hep Cahill, Rhys Hanbury, Frank Winterstein and Lloyd White all made the short move from north Wales.
Wigan legend Betts has taken Ben Davies and Ben Cross from his former team, the latter set to play for his third Super League club in the space of just a year. The Warriors have also allowed centre Stefan Marsh to join on a season-long loan deal.
Jon Clarke and Scott Moore give the Vikings some on-field leadership, though who will play at hooker? Shaun Briscoe is a reliable last line of defence too, while Willie Isa impressed at times for Castleford and ex-Bull Patrick Ah Van will kick plenty of points, provided he gets enough opportunties to do so.
Widnes have spread their search for players further afield than the north of England; Anthony Watts is a half-back with talent from Australia who arrives after an accrimonious departure from the Sydney Roosters.
Cameron Phelps has been given another chance to play in England, while Sione Kite was the final face to fly in, the 24-year-old adding some weight to the Widnes pack. He, like the rest of the new faces, will have to settle in quickly.
Outlook
Once Widnes' Super League return was confirmed by the Rugby Football League it became clear they would start with a clean slate.
The management team has overhauled the playing staff and it is tough to predict just how they will go - for 60 minutes of a pre-season friendly against St Helens they impressed, only to run out of steam in the final quarter.
Moore could be the shrewdest of the many signings - he never became a regular at Saints but shone during a season on loan at Huddersfield in 2009, resulting in him playing for England.
Briscoe and Clarke have also had international recognition and although perhaps now past their primes, both provide experience to the younger members of the squad.
While wins may be tough to come by, the club's supporters shouldn't lose sight of the bigger picture. They have three seasons to prove they belong in Super League - you have to learn to walk before you can run.
They will at least have one advantage over their rivals - the latest generation of artificial grass, known as the i-pitch (intelligent pitch), was laid at the Stobart Stadium this month.
