Barrow Raiders forward Tom Wilkinson says he is excited to get back amongst the cut and thrust of the Betfred Championship.
Wilkinson spent four seasons at Whitehaven and made 70 appearances for the club before returning to the amateur game following the conclusion of the 2022 campaign.
He has been playing his rugby with local side Ulverston but has now signed with the Raiders on dual-registration, making his debut during last weekend’s 12-6 defeat at home to Batley Bulldogs.
Wilkinson is expected to be in contention again this Sunday against Sheffield Eagles, and he admits the time feels right to step back into the professional game.
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“It feels great to be back at this level, especially with my home team Barrow,” he said.
“It’s the right time for to come back now. I took some time out of the game to be with my wife more while we had our baby girl, and signing on dual-reg is perfect for me for the rest of the year.
“I spent four years at Whitehaven and really enjoyed it. They were the club to take me into the professional game, and I can’t thank them enough for those years.
“It’s definitely made the transition easier, as I knew what I was getting myself into and I know how challenging Championship rugby can be.”
Wilkinson impressed on debut, coming into the Raiders’ depleted pack and bringing some additional physicality to the middle of the pitch.
Although the result didn’t go their way, Paul Crarey’s side will hope to recover quickly from last Sunday’s defeat, with a trip to Sheffield Eagles next up.
The Eagles’ home ground, Olympic Legacy Park, saw the Raiders produce one of their most remarkable results of the 2022 season, coming from 20 points behind inside the final quarter to win 36-32.
Previewing this weekend’s match, Wilkinson added: “Myself and the lads want to get back to winning ways. We know it’s going to be tough away to Sheffield, but all we can do is train hard and show the same effort as last week.
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“We have worked on things in training, so hopefully this will make the difference for us.
“Sheffield are a tough side and have had a very successful year so far, although they have dropped form of late.
“We need to go away expecting a tough game because they have some good players who can trouble us all over the park.”
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