Wigan Warriors: John Winder reflects on the pre-season outing away to Barrow Raiders

The reserves coach took charge of the game at Craven Park, which ended in a 26-14 defeat to Cumbrian side.

Winder states it was a worthwhile experience for everyone involved, with a range of players involved.

He said: “It was a very competitive game against a really good Championship team.

“It’s been good for the younger players. We gave them the experience of playing against senior opposition last week, and then backed it up with a lift in quality.

“A lot of people got a lot out of it, so it was very worthwhile.

“We made a really positive start to the game, and that really set the tone. I thought Barrow were really fired up.

“It was like that for most of the way through, and it was a good quality match.

“We lacked a little bit of quality of time, and with the wind in the second half we found it difficult to get out, but the effort and the spirit of the team was very good.

“Barrow finished fourth in the ladder last year and I think they’ll have another strong season, so it was a good hit out in very difficult conditions.

“There were lots of learning experiences there for everyone.

“A lot of the junior players haven’t experienced that type of environment before so it was good for them to do that because you never know in your career, you fall into a game on a day like that and it could be a big one.

“Tom (Forber) played well in the second half, Junior (Nsemba) had some good touches, and Harvie’s (Hill) first 25 minutes were really good too when he came off the bench.

“We had a couple of senior lads playing, and I thought they gave a good account of themselves.

“Paddy (Mago) was a threat when he had the ball, Kaide’s (Ellis) opening spell was very good, Brad (O’Neill) was solid, and (Joe) Shorrocks played 60 minutes for us.

“There were lots of benefits there.

“It’s a long pre-season and you do a lot of training, but it’s all about playing a game. I think they enjoyed it because they got some worthwhile minutes.”