WHISPER it quietly, but Andy Litherland is optimistic that the pre-season injury curse which has dogged him for the past two years has finally been banished.

In 2015, soon after signing for Barrow Raiders from amateur side Walney Central, needed stiches in a leg injury, while last year saw him miss six weeks of pre-season after having his appendix out.

The build-up to the 2017 Kingstone Press League One campaign has, so far, gone without a hitch though and the 26-year-old is eager to get plenty of game-time under his belt when Oldham visit Craven Park for a friendly a week on Sunday.

“I've felt pretty sharp this pre-season and I've been going well, so touch wood there has been no jinx so far,” said Litherland.

“In the two seasons I've been at Barrow, I think I've only played two pre-season friendlies and that's where you match-fitness and sharpness come from for the season.

“Everything is going well so far - no injuries to date - so hopefully I can hit the ground running going into the season and everything comes off the back of that.”

Despite those setbacks, centre or back row Litherland has still been able to rack up 28 appearances over the past two seasons, with 13 of those coming in 2016 when he also chipped in with 10 tries.

It is an impressive return for a player who head coach Paul Crarey plucked from the amateur ranks of the Cumbria League soon after starting his second spell in charge at Barrow.

However, Litherland is in no doubt one of the keys to making the step up to League One is improved fitness, which is why he is so keen to ensure he does not miss any of pre-season this time around.

“I'd probably say the fitness is massive and just the speed of the game,” said Litherland. “But on the flip-side, if you can just get up to that fitness level of everyone around you, and a bit more of an understanding and reading of the game then you're not too far off.

“Last year, I missed six weeks of pre-season having my appendix out, so that put me back massively on a personal level throughout the season. You're just chasing your fitness all of the time and I always felt I was one step behind in fitness.

“One thing I said this season, I wanted a full pre-season and try to have good crack this year injury free, and try to make my mark on the team.”

Those impressive displays led to Litherland earning a new contract and he is now entering his third year at the Raiders, forming a major component of the strong amateur backbone at the club which includes fellow former Walney players Danny Morrow and Matty Holmes.

Unsurprinsingly, promotion is firmly in his sights as the team seek to go one better than their play-off final loss in Toulouse last October – particularly with Lewis Charnock, Declan Hulme, Jarrad Stack, Brett Carter and Tom Walker having all added to the squad.

But Litherland pointed to needing to avoid results like the home draw with Newcastle Thunder, plus the away losses to Doncaster and London Skolars prior to the Super Eights as another factor which can ensure the Raiders are again among the promotion contenders.

“Obviously, I'm pleased to get a renewed contract,” said Litherland. “I think I deserved one after last year and it's nice going into another season playing for your home town, and hopefully this time push for promotion.

“No disrespect to those boys, but they're the teams if we had beaten them, we could have probably taken a step closer to promotion last season and had a crack at the Championship.

“But this year, I think the team and the boys Paul has brought in is going to stand us in good stead to be up there or thereabouts.

“I know no different in a professional environment than Paul, but I can't knock anything he has done. I know he has brought me on leaps and bounds, and I owe a lot of Paul and his coaching staff.”