Widnes Vikings return home this Saturday as they welcome Barrow Raiders to the DCBL Stadium in Round 20 of the Betfred Championship (5pm kick-off).
The Vikings come into this fixture on the back of a record-breaking 116-6 victory away at North Wales Crusaders last weekend – their second consecutive win on the road, after beating Goole Vikings a week prior.
Tomorrow, Allan Coleman’s side face off against one of the division’s most in-form teams in Barrow, who will be keen to complete a league double over the Vikings following their 18-8 win at the Speed Competitions Stadium back in April.
🎟️ Ticket information
Tickets for Saturday’s game are available here.
Supporters can also pick up their tickets on Sunday at the Vikings club shop, which will be open from midday until kick-off.
📰 Squad news
Head coach Allan Coleman has named his 21-man squad ahead of Saturday’s game.
There are two changes from last weekend’s victory in Colwyn Bay. Ryan Ince and Jack Billington return to the fold, replacing Joe Edge and Deacon Connolly.
Our official 2026 squad news partner is Motorpoint Widnes!
🥊 The opposition
Barrow Raiders have been one of the Betfred Championship’s most consistent performers this season.
Paul Crarey has guided the Cumbrian outfit to 14 wins from their 18 games so far, a record which currently places them fourth in the table.
Prior to their defeat against Newcastle Thunder last weekend, the Raiders had embarked on a six-game winning streak, which included thrilling comebacks against Sheffield Eagles and Dewsbury Rams, coming from 28 points down at half-time to win 39-28 against the latter.
Allan Coleman’s side will be aware of Barrow’s strength from their 18-8 defeat on the road earlier this season. Since then, they have bolstered their squad with Super League calibre players in the form of Brad Singleton and the returning Ellis Gillam.
Barrow Raiders 21-man squad: Ellis Archer, Alex Bishop, Luke Broadbent, Joe Bullock, Luke Cresswell, Fin Dutton-Rosconie, Charlie Emslie, Ellis Gillam, Ryan Johnston, Ryan King, Dan Knott, Harvey Makin, Greg Richards, Ellis Robson, Brad Singleton, Jarrad Stack, Curtis Teare, Shane Toal, Brad Walker, Tom Walker, Josh Wood.
⏪ Record against Barrow
Since Widnes’ return to the Championship in 2019, they have met Barrow Raiders 12 times, with both sides winning six games apeice.
Widnes completed a league double over the Raiders during the 2024 season, but since then, neither side has achieved this feat. The last time the Cumbrian side visited the DCBL Stadium in April 2025, they recorded a 37-12 victory, before Allan Coleman’s side returned the favour with a hard-fought 20-14 win at Craven Park in August of that year.
The most recent encounter between the pair ended in an 18-8 defeat for the Vikings away at Barrow, and with the sides separated by just two points in the table, Saturday’s fixture promises to be yet another thrilling battle.
Last five meetings:
- Barrow 18-8 Widnes (Championship R9, 3/4/26)
- Barrow 14-20 Widnes (Championship R22, 17/8/25)
- Widnes 12-37 Barrow (Championship R6, 13/4/25)
- Barrow 24-26 Widnes (Championship R26, 29/9/24)
- Widnes 44-8 Barrow (Championship R1, 17/3/24)
🗣️ Matty Fozard previews Barrow clash
Hear from Vikings hooker Matty Fozard ahead of Saturday’s return to action.
🏉 Officials
The referee for this fixture is James Vella.
📲 Follow the game with the Vikings
Are you not going to be with us? You can keep updated with the Vikings’ official club coverage!
Vikings fans will be able to get full updates through our match coverage on our official X account – your hub to find out all the key news, including matchday line-ups, live game updates and post-game coverage.
