Wigan Warriors centre Iain Thornley has made a short-term loan move in a bid to get back up to full game fitness.
The 31-year-old will link up with Championship side Barrow Raiders after making nine appearances for the Warriors in 2022, including their Betfred Challenge Cup final victory over Huddersfield Giants at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Unfortunately, he picked up a knee injury a week later away at Castleford Tigers, and has been sidelined for nine months since.
Prior to his time at Wigan, Thornley made over a half-century of appearances for Leigh Leopards during a three-season spell.
Per the terms of the loan agreement, he will not be available to feature in Challenge Cup fixtures for the Raiders, and the Warriors will have the option to recall Thornley at any point following the first two weeks of the loan.
Barrow Raiders head coach Paul Crarey said upon Thornley’s arrival: “Iain comes with a great attitude and is a high quality, experienced centre that knows how to play.
“He is a big body that will give us some punch and strike on an edge, and I personally would like to thank Wigan transition coach John Duffy and the club itself for making the loan move possible.”
Chairman Steve Neale said: “We are delighted to bring Iain in to strengthen the squad, and I must thank Andy Gaffney and Paul Crarey who have both spent a lot of time in conversations with Wigan to secure the deal.
“Iain is a proven Super League quality performer who featured in last season’s Challenge Cup Final, and he is just the boost we need as we head into a tough fixture with Halifax.
“He will miss out a week later as Wigan don’t want him cup-tied, but we are hoping that he can continue to play in the league fixtures until his form warrants a place back into the Wigan first team. If he does that, then both clubs will be happy.”
