Championship outfit Barrow Raiders have announced the departures of four players, including one-time Super League champion Aaron Smith.
Now 29, hooker Smith was part of the St Helens squad which defeated Salford Red Devils at Old Trafford in the 2019 Grand Final.
He played 16 games across all competitions for Saints that year, and featured from the bench at the Theatre of Dreams as Kristian Woolf’s side earned a 23-6 victory, winning the first of their four consecutive Super League titles.
Newton-le-Willows native Smith has spent the last two seasons in the Championship with Barrow, joining the Cumbrian side following a stint at Leigh.
He departs for pastures new after playing 34 games for the Raiders.
Super League Grand Final winner Aaron Smith among quartet of departures from Barrow
Ahead of 2026, Barrow have also confirmed the departures of James Greenwood, Tom Wilkinson and Delaine Gittens-Bedward.
Veteran forward Greenwood – who turned 34 in June – has over 200 games on his CV, including close to 100 in Super League.
He initially joined the Raiders on loan from Salford in 2023, and then made his move a permanent one ahead of the following campaign, racking up 37 games for the club overall.
Loose forward Wilkinson’s stint at hometown club Barrow also began midway through 2023 when he made the step up to join them from local amateur side Ulverston.
Rounding things off, Gittens-Bedward featured 18 times for the Raiders over the course of his two-year stint, and earned a call-up for Jamaica on the international front during his time at Craven Park.
As Barrow bid farewell to the quartet, Director of Rugby Andy Gaffney said: “As with any club, player departures are part and parcel of an off-season, and all four lads who are leaving can be mightily proud of their contribution to this club.
“In order to refresh the squad heading into 2026 and provide head coach Paul Crarey with the tools he needs to challenge at the right end of the division, departures are unfortunately inevitable.
“Delaine, James, Aaron and Tom have been a pleasure to deal with throughout their time with the club, and we wish them well for whatever comes next.”
