ANOTHER Barrow Island RL product will be gunning for Super League glory this season – this time from the sidelines.

John Winder, who spent 10 years as a junior and senior with the Rating Lane club, has been appointed as assistant coach at Wigan Warriors.

Winder will work under head coach Shaun Wane at the DW Stadium as Wigan – with Sam Tomkins back in the fold – look to go one step further than in the past two seasons and win the Super League Grand Final.

He joins Barrow Island products Ben Harrison (at Warrington Wolves), Brad Singleton (at Leeds Rhinos), Greg Richards (at St Helens) and Ryan Shaw (at Hull Kingston Rovers) in seeking top-flight success.

“We want to start the season well,” said Winder, whose side start the Super League season at home to Catalans Dragons on Friday night. “The last two or three years, we haven’t started as well as we would have liked, so that’s where our focus is at the moment.

“We want to start well over the first six weeks and then generally be competitive from week to week to see where we finish up.

“Sam is a quality player, so it’s good to have him back on board. We’re looking forward to what he can bring to the team.

“It’s really good to have him back, he’s pleased to be back and everyone is excited in anticipation of him playing again.”

He added: “The competition was strong last year and I don’t see it being any different this year. A lot of sides have recruited well in the off-season, so it will be very competitive.

“There is pressure on all teams now, from top to bottom, with the promotion and relegation in place. The rewards of getting into that top eight puts more pressure on the competition from an earlier stage.

“When relegation wasn’t in there, there was a tendency for teams not to start the season as hot as they needed to. Now, with those eight being decided inside those first 24 rounds, everyone has to make sure they are starting the comp well.”

Winder expects last year’s champions Leeds and perennial contenders St Helens to be among those challenging for honours again this season, and added: “St Helens have got a very strong squad and I expect them to be up there and Leeds, even though they’ve lost some senior personnel in the off-season, I think they’ve got plenty of quality about them.

“Warrington have recruited really well and I think Hull will go well – they’ve made some key signings and another year will do some of their youngsters good as well.

“Castleford will be strong as well. They were a very good side from midway through the year last season and they have had a bit of stability in the off-season as well.”

Winder was appointed to his new permanent position having spent the second half of last season in the role on a temporary basis following the departure of Paul Deacon.

The 35-year-old – who has been involved with the youth sections at Wigan and NRL side Melbourne Storm over the past six years – was pleased to have been given the vote of confidence.

“It’s really good to be in the job permanently,” he said. “It’s something I have been working towards for the past five years to get into this position. I’m really pleased.

“A lot of the guys who are playing for us now have come through the youth set-up with me as well, which is always pleasing to see and I’m really looking forward to the year ahead.”

One player Winder will be keeping an eye on is another South Cumbrian, Liam Paisley.

The teenage centre – who came through the youth ranks at Dalton and was part of the Dowdales School team which dominated the national scene – is in his second full year with the Warriors.

Winder helped recruit him to the club, and said: “He came into the junior academy just as I was moving up to the first team, he was among the last batch I was involved in the signing of. He has progressed really well and we are really pleased with where he is.”