Raiders welcome back overseas stars

Barrow Raiders will welcome back key duo Zebastien Luisi and Ned Catic for Thursday night’s trip to play-off rivals Sheffield.

Luisi has returned from a trip home to New Zealand for personal reasons, while Catic has completed a five-match suspension.

Both are expected to go straight into a Barrow side looking to bounce back from narrow defeats to Batley and Featherstone.

“Ned and Zeb are massive players for us,” said Raiders coach Nigel Wright.

“I thought we did reasonably well against Featherstone and created the better chances in the second half, but we let in two or three really slack individual tries.

“With a bit more experience we might have come home with more than we did, and that’s where Ned and Zeb might be vital over the next few weeks.”

Sheffield also lost last weekend, 38-24 at Widnes Vikings, and coach Mark Aston is looking for a big improvement.

“I can’t believe we got that close because our ball control was ridiculous at times,” said Aston.

“Barrow have got some good players, there’s no doubt about that. I wanted them against Featherstone and they’re a dangerous team.”

Aston will still be without Dane McDonald (trapped nerve in shoulder) and Jamie Cording (ankle) is doubtful. Misi Taulapapa is expected to play with stitches in his head following a cut against the Vikings.