BARROW RAIDERS say Stevie Watson is very much their player as Leeds lead Super League interest in the 17-year-old prop.
A product of the historic amateur club Millom, six miles up the north-west coast from Barrow, he shone in the Furness Raiders development team and signed a professional contract at the start of this year.
Watson went on to feature four times for Barrow and five on loan to North Wales.
Barrow coach Paul Crarey told Cumbria Crack: “There has been interest from Leeds and another Super League club in Stevie, but he is going nowhere.
“He has an ankle injury, which requires surgery that will keep him out of the game for at least three months, and he is still a Barrow player.”
Crarey is a big believer in the Furness Raiders set-up, which is run in conjunction with the town’s further education college.
“It has given us many players since its inception, and was specifically created for this purpose,” he said.
“We will continue to promote local prospects, as it’s the most sustainable way we can build our teams without the big budgets which many others in our division have.”
Leeds have signed a former Raiders player in prop Delaine Gittens-Bedward, who made 17 appearances for them across 2024 and 2025.
