BARROW RAIDERS can push towards the top of the new-style Championship, according to prop Joe Bullock.

Paul Crarey’s side finished ninth in the old second tier last season, but with the top three moving to Super League and the merging of the divisions resulting in a new fixture format and a top-ten play-off, plus the well-publicised financial difficulties at Salford and Featherstone, Barrow will like many be sensing an opportunity to establish themselves in the section.

The Raiders’ planned pre-season game against Whitehaven on Saturday (January 3) fell victim to a frozen pitch, although they did record a 50-24 victory over North Wales Crusaders between Christmas and New Year.

Bullock said: “There’s nothing better than getting out there and being in the environment and the situations that games put you in.

“We’ve learnt a lot about ourselves as a team. It was good to get a win, but there are a lot of things to work on and improve on, which is good too.

“It’s important to look at what we’re doing and learning and improving. We’ve got a real opportunity with the team we’ve got and the way the Championship is this year to push at the top with the clubs that are in there, and it’s important we start the ball rolling.

“We need to make sure we are in the best position we can be at the start of the season.”

Bullock is part of Barrow’s quality-over-quantity recruitment drive, which has also brought winger Tee Ritson back from St Helens and led to the arrival of local prop Greg Richards from Toulouse.

Now 33, Bullock ended last season at Barrow after joining midway through the year from Salford having previously left the Raiders in 2018 to join Wigan, so it’s his first pre-season back in the part-time game.

He added: “I’ve been injury-free, so for me personally it’s been getting used to training at night again and the travelling up here. It’s a little bit different but I’ve enjoyed it.

“There’s a good group of lads here, we’ve got a good little minibus of us who travel up together, so it’s been good getting bonds with different people, and training has been pretty intense as well.”

Barrow host Scotland on Saturday in back Shane Toal’s testimonial match.

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