NATHAN Mossop is gearing up for what he expects to be another gruelling pre-season when the Barrow Raiders squad report back ahead of the 2019 Betfred Championship season.

There has been little rest for the Raiders vice-captain during the off-season, with Mossop rehabilitation from minor surgery on a bicep injury and doing fitness work with his brother.

He fully expects fitness coach Paul Taylor to have devised another rigorous training programme to get the squad in shape, which last year included running up and down the sand dunes at Roanhead, but is in no doubt how useful that was after winning promotion in 2017.

“That’s probably one of the biggest differences between League One and the Championship,” said Mossop. “It’s not just the physical aspect, but the aerobic capacity of each player

“I think the start of last season showed how hard we’d worked in pre-season; we beat with Leigh at home, competed with Toronto and it was difficult last season with the amount of injuries people had for lads to keep on top of that.

“It was more a case of looking after people and trying to make sure they were recovering from the little knocks and stuff they had.

“But if you condition yourself as best you can it definitely puts you in good stead for playing these top Championship teams, and it’s only going to get harder with some of the teams who have stayed in the league and the recruitment processes they have been through.”

Mossop was one of the first members of the Barrow squad who were out of contract at the end of the 2018 season to extend his stay with the club, agreeing a two-year deal.

He will have a new team-mate with him at hooker next year too, with Papua New Guinea international Wartovo Puara Jr coming to Craven Park as Dean Parata’s replacement.

And while he believes Parata, Alec Susino and Joe Bullock will be missed, Mossop is excited by the new signings the Raiders have recruited for next season.

“Joe Bullock would be a massive miss to any team, not just Barrow Raiders, and people like Alec Susino and Dean Parata, who was a great player and has gone onto pastures new,” said Mossop.

“But the two new guys from Papua New Guinea look exciting players, and they’ve strengthened with Deon Cross and the centre who tore us apart at Sheffield from St Helens, Jake Spedding.

“They’ve made some great signings and I think one of the biggest things that puts us in good stead is we’re a group of lads who want to work for each other and stick together.”