HUNSLET and Barrow Raiders have enjoyed contrasting starts to the 2026 Championship season.

Hunslet have only beaten Rochdale Hornets, which they did convincingly in Round 4, while the Raiders have only lost one game, against Sheffield Eagles, also in Round 4.

Two weeks ago Hunslet gave perhaps their best performance of the season, going down narrowly 32-26 at Widnes Vikings. Since then they have lost several loan stars back to their parent clubs, with Ben Littlewood and Presley Cassell heading back to Leeds and Matty Laidlaw to Hull FC. But to replace them, their coach Kyle Trout (pictured above) has recruited Isaac Misky and Gadwin Springer on loan deals from Doncaster, while they also have Leeds Rhinos teenage forward Zak Lloyd in their squad.

Barrow will be without captain Ryan Johnston, as well as Luke Broadbent and Castleford loanee Aidan Doolan, but their coach Paul Crarey welcomes back veterans Shane Toal and Jarrad Stack, as well as Tom Walker and Wigan loanee Harvey Makin for a game that looks like a potentially very close encounter.

SQUADS

Hunslet: 1 Billy Jowitt, 3 Myles Harrop, 5 Mo Agoro, 6 Lee Gaskell, 7 Dan Abram, 8 Harvey Hallas, 11 Harrison Gilmore, 12 Darcy Simpson, 13 Eddie Battye, 14 Cameron Berry, 15 Emmerson Whittel, 18 Jimmy Watson, 19 Mason Corbett, 20 Liam Carr, 21 Mackenzie Turner, 27 Charlie Graham, Bureta Faraimo, Tom Nicholson-Watton, Isaac Misky, Zak Lloyd, Gadwin Springer
Outs: 16 Elijah Simpson, Ben Littlewood, Presley Cassell, Matty Laidlaw,
Ins: 5 Mo Agoro, Isaac Misky, Zak Lloyd, Gadwin Springer

Raiders: 1 Luke Cresswell, 3 Shane Toal, 4 Curtis Teare, 6 Brad Walker, 8 Tom Walker, 9 Josh Wood, 10 Joe Bullock, 11 Ellis Robson, 12 Matthew Costello, 13 Ryan King, 15 Charlie Emslie, 16 Greg Richards, 17 Alex Bishop, 19 Seth Woodend, 20 Dan Knott, 21 Trent Ruddy, 25 Tee Ritson, 30 Jarrad Stack, 31 Stevie Watson, 32 Ellis Archer,
Outs: 5 Luke Broadbent, 7 Ryan Johnston, 14 Aidan Doolan,
Ins: 3 Shane Toal, 8 Tom Walker, 30 Jarrad Stack, Harvey Makin,

Referee: Carl Hughes

STATS

Last ten meetings:
Hunslet 0, Barrow 58 (ChR14, 22/6/25)
Barrow 38, Hunslet 12 (ChR1, 16/2/25)
Barrow 40, Hunslet 10 (L1R13, 8/8/21)
Hunslet 6, Barrow 29 (L1R3, 23/5/21)
Barrow 28, Hunslet 20 (L1R9, 3/6/17)
Barrow 44, Hunslet 26 (L1S8-R4, 14/8/16)
Barrow 40, Hunslet 6 (L1R2, 13/3/16)
Hunslet 46, Barrow 12 (CCR3, 28/2/16)
Barrow 28, Hunslet 26 (ChR20, 21/7/13)
Hunslet 42, Barrow 12 (ChR1, 3/2/13)

DAN ABRAM needs four goals to reach 500 for his career (all conversions and penalties).
– 0 for Hunslet (2026)
– 118 for Whitehaven (2018, 2025, loan)
– 268 for Swinton Lions (2022-2025)
– 54 for Oldham (2020-2021)
– 56 for Rochdale Hornets (2019)
(0 for Barrow Raiders, 2016-2017)