Barrow Raiders head coach Paul Crarey believes he has plenty of firepower at his disposal amongst his backline for their assault on Betfred League One next season.

Centre Perry Singleton became the Raiders’ first new arrival amongst the backs for the 2020 season after they initially targeted reinforcing the front row, following several departures in that department.

Singleton’s prolific try-scoring record for Workington Town makes the potential centre partnership with PNG international Stargroth Amean an enticing one, while the likes of Declan Hulme and Shane Toal will feel like new signings after injury-ravaged years.

Star performers from last season Luke Cresswell and Tee Ritson have signed on for next year, while youngsters such as Jake Carter, Ryan Johnston and Adam Ford are expected to progress with more game time in the third tier.

Crarey said: “Declan missed most of last season - he only played five games, so he’ll be like having a new player and that will also be the case with Shane, so we’ve got some quality in there.

“The main thing was we lost some good front-rowers in Tom Walker, Alec Susino and Glenn Riley, so we replaced them straight away with high quality players.

“The rest of the backline - Tee Ritson, Declan Hulme, Star etc - are all packed full of quality and you’ve got Wattsy [Puara] and Star killing it for PNG at the moment, and they’ve had a year with us.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Shane Toal back on the park again. He was absolutely outstanding for us before he got his horrific injury and he probably hasn’t fully recovered from that, but he’s had a long spell out and he’s mended up and ready to go.

“There will be some good competition for those wing places and some genuine pace.”

Crarey is also delighted to have one of his most reliable performers available again in second row Bradd Crellin, who missed the last four months of the 2019 season after being involved in a car crash near Millom on his way to training in May.

Crarey said: “He’s not the biggest, Bradd, but he plays with his heart and his soul and he picks up some knocks.

“It’s like a car crash for every collision with Bradd, but he gives you everything he’s got. He’s a good squad member to have around and he’s a tackling machine. He’s not only a good player, but he’s a good lad as well.”