Last updated at 11:42, Saturday, 23 June 2012

LIGHTNING-QUICK winger James Nixon is flying up the try-scoring ranks at Barrow Raiders.

TOUCHDOWN: James Nixon scoring one of his 135 tries in a Barrow Raiders shirt – this one against York City Knights last season

The 26-year-old Dalton pace ace climbed to seventh on his own in the all-time list with his four-pointer at Gateshead two weeks ago.

That took Nixon above Val Cumberbatch in the rankings and within four of sixth-placed Jack Woods – with an eventual place in the top-three well within his sights, starting with tomorrow’s game against North Wales Crusaders.

Nixon’s 135 tries in 166 games give him the best strike rate of anyone in the top-10 – even runaway leader Jimmy Lewthwaite – and current Barrow boss Darren Holt believes there will be much more to come.

“Nicko’s try-scoring record speaks for itself,” said Holt, himself the club’s record goals and points scorer, with 1,036 and 2,403 respectively. “That’s the kind of player he is – he’s an out-and-out try-scorer and a finisher.

“It’s not so much the number of tries he has scored, but a lot of the tries he has scored over the years have been breathtaking tries and it’s credit to him.

“I hope he continues to do that. I’m sure it’s a personal aim of his to score as many tries as he can and see where he ends up at the end of his career.

“Every player should have those targets and one thing about Nicko is, if he is playing, he will always get you tries.”

He added: “I’d like to think that the players’ main goals are team goals – what’s good for the team and what’s best for the team – but it’s good to have individual targets as well.

“Knowing Nicko, he will probably brush this off and not think too much about it. But figures are there for a reason and when he finishes his career and looks back, I am sure he will want to look back and be proud of that try-scoring record, appearance and everything else, so he will want to score as many as possible.

“Nicko will just continue plugging away and if he is playing, then he will get you tries.”

At 26, Nixon should still have several seasons of professional rugby league left in him and the chance to add greatly to his tally.

The total could have been even greater, but a broken arm and a broken leg put paid to his last two seasons.

Next in his sights in Jack Woods, who scored 139 tries between 1926 and 1934, with Charlie Carr (161 tries), Walter Scott (175) and Bill Burgess (179) all within reach in the next couple of years.

The player himself is not one to boast of his feats and is renowned as the quiet man of the Barrow squad, but Holt realises his attitude obviously works and added: “I’ve never spoken to him!

“I just wonder what he’s like when he gets home. He’s that quiet when he’s with us, I bet when he gets him, you can’t shut him up.

“People who know him the closest can’t believe he’s so quiet, but that’s how he is.

“He’s a quiet lad, he keeps himself to himself, but that doesn’t matter – the lads have the utmost respect for him.

“It obviously works for him. You would think rugby league being a contact sport, you would be a bit aggressive and it is a bit unusual, but look at his try-scoring record.

“It obviously works for him and I’m not making any plans to change him any time soon.”

First published at 10:37, Saturday, 23 June 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk