BARROW RAIDERS coach Amanda Wilkinson has backed Leigh Leopards to follow in her club’s footsteps and enjoy a memorable season in Super League.
Having claimed promotion to last season’s top flight with a play-off final win over Leigh in October 2023, Barrow went on to finish fifth in the table, and pushed some of the leading sides close on more than one occasion.
Now the coach believes Leigh, who beat Featherstone last October to claim their place in Super League, can have a similar impact on the competition.
Leigh host Barrow on Sunday May 18 when both clubs get their league campaign underway.
Speaking in the new issue of Rugby League World Wilkinson said: “I knew we wouldn’t just go up and come straight back down, but if I’m honest I was taken aback by just how well we did.
“We overachieved my expectations, but that came down to the desire of the girls.
“I was actually a bit shocked when we went into the games at just how close we were to those top teams. We got really close in some of those games and could have even beaten Leeds, York and Wigan, but for a few penalties and some errors, and that gave them a massive boost of confidence.
“Leigh would probably have been our last choice as a first game for this season. I don’t know why, but there has always been a bit of a rivalry between us and them, and I think they’re going to be a really good team this year.
“They will be as good as we were last year and they could be the ones to turn some heads in 2024.”
