{"id":342023,"date":"2025-12-30T02:39:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T02:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/342023\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T02:39:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T02:39:10","slug":"former-wigan-warriors-man-makes-bold-2026-prediction-as-championship-side-record-heavy-pre-season-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/342023\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Wigan Warriors man makes bold 2026 prediction as Championship side record heavy pre-season win"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Former Wigan Warriors prop Joe Bullock believes his Barrow Raiders side will be fighting at the top of the Championship in 2026, after a poor 2025 season from the club.<\/p>\n

Bullock moved to Cumbria half-way through 2025 after departing Salford Red Devils. He joined the Raiders, in what is his second stint at the club.<\/p>\n

The 33-year-old made his name at the second tier side, playing there between 2014 and 2018, before he was picked up by the Warriors.<\/p>\n

After 11 appearances in the season just gone, he and the squad firmly believe they will be challenging, after beginning their 2026 campaign in the best way possible.<\/p>\n

Barrow recorded a 50-24 win over North Wales Crusaders, in one of three pre-season friendlies that took place over the weekend.<\/a><\/p>\n

Bullock crossed for a try, and after being named Player of the Match, was interviewed, where he outlined those ambitions.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the game, and how it was a different challenge to the weekly training sessions, he said: \u201cThere\u2019s nothing better than being out there and being in that environment and being in the situation which games put you in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve learned a lot about ourselves as a team. Training is always structured and set up to help you improve in those better ways, but you\u2019re put under pressure and you find yourself where you are as a team when you\u2019re under pressure in a game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a good run out, and good to get the win. The biggest thing is that we\u2019ve got plenty to work on and improve on, so that\u2019s a big positive as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former Wigan Warriors man lays out Championship ambitions ahead of 2026<\/p>\n

Barrow finished ninth in the Championship this year, meaning that, with the new structure of the second tier, they have a more favourable draw compared to others.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, and the additions to the squad they have made, Bullock is confident his side will be competing with the likes of London and Oldham, who are favourites for the title.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to look at what we are doing how we\u2019re learning and improving,\u201d he said. \u201cI think there\u2019s a lot of things that we can look at and improve from that, but we\u2019ve got a real opportunity I think with the team that we\u2019ve got and the way the Championship season is this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s an opportunity for us to be really pushing at the top with the clubs that are in there. It\u2019s important that we start the ball rolling really hard, and go from the off, but we need to make sure that we are tweaking all those final pieces and making sure we\u2019re in the best position we can be for the start of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Check out the latest episode of The Serious About Rugby League Show on our YouTube channel here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hear from our player of the match, @JoeBullock27<\/a>, after his stand-out performance against the Crusaders \ud83d\udc4f pic.twitter.com\/uiN9XJWpto<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Barrow Raiders (@BarrowRaiders) December 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

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