BARROW RAIDERS boss Paul Crarey is aiming to put consecutive weekends off to good use while he deals with a string of absentees in bidding to keep his side among the leading pack.
The long-serving coach was already without the likes of winger Ryan Shaw, who is regaining full fitness after knee problems, hooker Aaron Smith, still unavailable after a car accident, and a key pack trio in Tom Walker and Ryan King, who both have ongoing knee issues, and Kavan Rothwell, the Leigh loanee who has a damaged thumb.
And during the 24-24 draw at Batley, after which Barrow were second, he lost secondrow Ellis Robson (finger), Rothwell’s fellow Leigh loan forward Ryan Brown (arm), Salford loan prop Jamie Pye (eye socket).
Having had a bye round, this weekend’s Championship break for the 1895 Cup semi-finals means Crarey’s side don’t play until the clash with Toulouse in France on Saturday week, May 24.
“The rest will be good for the squad, it gives time to get over injuries and niggles,” said Crarey, whose side were leading at Batley until Jayden Myers’ last-gasp try.
“You get injuries and you have to adapt and try to get the right balance. We do have lads who can change their roles and keep to the gameplan, but we have also had to put some square pegs in round holes, because we’ve been threadbare.
“Against Batley, we had no bench to speak of in the second half. We’d lost Ellis, Jamie and Ryan and we were under the pump. I suppose it was a point lost, but it was also a point gained.
“I said to them beforehand that I want to be speaking afterwards of how pleased I am to be near the top of this competition against all odds.
“I’m really proud of the lads for digging in, in what was a difficult afternoon. They are really working hard for each other and the spirit in the camp is sky high.”
