HARRY Barker is ready to take what he has learned in Saddleworth on to the national rugby league stage after making the England Community Lions Under-19s squad.
And he will be alongside and against familiar faces as Waterhead team-mate Marcus Geener, who also represented the under-16s in 2022, is in the same party for the European Championships.
He will also find himself against clubmate Reece Smethurst, who has made Scotland’s squad for the tournament, set to take place in July.
But what he picked up at Peach Road, being alongside former professionals after breaking into the first team, will help Harry.
He said: “I’ve been at Waterhead since the under-7s and made my first team debut last year.
“We’ve a lot of professionalism now and when you’re around it all the time, you see it and get to bring it into your own game. It makes everyone better.”
Harry is no stranger to international honours.
Having been selected for the under-17s team, he played two matches against France before facing Ireland and Scotland for the Under-18s.
Last year, he played against a Brazil open age select side, winning 18-10 and to make the cut for this team, he went through a Reds v Blues game.
Now he is part of the Lions’ set-up, he and his team-mates have been put through their paces, both on and off the field.
Sessions on mental health have been introduced, along with the regulation training sessions.
And he believes that can help when it comes to game time.
Harry added: “You’ve got to look at your mental health, as well as your physical health, in rugby and the workshops we’ve been doing are split between training out on the pitch and being inside with coaches.
“It’s a good bonding thing to speak to the lads about what they’re going through. It helps me stay focused on motivation and knowing what my set goals are, not being distracted by other things.
“Being aged 18 or 19 and becoming an adult, life hits you and it’s easy to get distracted. Things like what we’ve done helps us stay focused.”
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