Gary Wheeler departs Championship club

Josh McAllister 27 Oct 2022 3:46 PM

Barrow Raiders have confirmed the departure of Gary Wheeler following the expiry of his contract with the club.

Wheeler, 33, first joined Barrow midway through the 2021 League 1 season and helped the Raiders secure promotion to the Championship.

Injuries limited the utility to just 11 appearances, scoring twice. Nine of those appearances came during the 2022 Championship campaign.

The 33-year-old has struggled with knocks throughout his career, having made his debut in 2008 with St Helens in the Challenge Cup.

He featured across two seasons with Warrington but was limited to just 10 appearances, scoring four tries. He went on to join Toronto in 2017 and left the club by mutual consent in 2020.

Barrow release Gary Wheeler

Chairman Steve Neale commented: “During his time at the club, Gary has been a model professional and set a real example to the younger members of the squad.

“Injuries are part and parcel of the sport, and for that reason he has never been able to fully hit the heights that we’d hoped he could achieve at the club.

“He is a supremely talented player, and wherever he ends up, we wish him the very best of luck.”

Meanwhile, Paul Carey most recently added youngster Luke Broadbent to his squad for 2023, following in the footsteps of his father, Gary. Connor Saunders has also signed his first professional deal with the club.

Greg Worthington will make the switch from Halifax for 2023, alongside Salford duo Greg Burke and Jack Wells. Bradd Crellin and Danny Morrow have both decided to retire from the sport.