Barrow Raiders will make the trip to the north-east this Saturday to face Newcastle Thunder in Round 25 of the Betfred Championship. 

After pushing high-flying Featherstone Rovers all the way last weekend, there will be plenty of positives to take as the Raiders look to build momentum approaching the end-of-season play-offs.

The Opposition

Photo credit: Newcastle Thunder

One of only two current full-time teams in the second tier, it has been a difficult season for Thunder, who can no longer finish any higher than 10th in the Betfred Championship.

They are currently in the midst of a six-match winless run, with their last victory coming at home to Bradford Bulls on July 7. 

Their squad does, however, boast plenty of Super League and international experience, not least former Huddersfield Giants and Tonga forward Ukuma Ta’ai and ex-Wigan Warriors half-back Josh Woods.

Despite their position in the table, Thunder have plenty of strength and will want to try and end the season on a high before reverting back to a part-time playing model next season.

Squad news

Paul Crarey has named his squad to face Newcastle Thunder, with experienced hooker Nathan Mossop missing out due to concussion protocols. 

Paul Crarey preview

We caught up with Raiders head coach Paul Crarey ahead of Saturday’s game.

Luke Cresswell preview

Barrow Raiders must approach Saturday’s trip to Newcastle Thunder with plenty of caution, according to full-back Luke Cresswell. 

The squad will look to bounce back to winning ways on their travels as they prepare for their penultimate away fixture of the regular season. 

“Newcastle are a full-time team, so we’ve got to go with a lot of caution,” he said. “We know that we need to play at our best and have systems which can trouble anyone, but we understand that they have a lot of quality in the team.

Read more here!

Match Information

Saturday’s fixture at Kingston Park kicks off at 3:00pm. Match tickets are priced as follows:

  • Adults: £15
  • Concessions: £10
  • Under 16s: £3

Car parking is also available to pre-book.

Buy your tickets for Saturday’s trip to Newcastle Thunder!