BARROW RAIDERS coach Paul Crarey hailed milestone man Jarrad Stack – and revealed he is trying to persuade the 37-year-old Australian forward to carry on into another year with the club.

The much-respected second rower and club captain spent eight seasons at Workington before shifting down the north-west coast ahead of the 2017 campaign, and reached 350 appearances in the northern-hemisphere game when Barrow hosted Widnes, who tried to sign him when he left Queensland Cup side North Devils after the 2008 campaign.

Instead he chose Cumbria, and has put down strong roots in the county, with Crarey full of praise for the man from the Australian Rules stronghold state of Victoria, who was once in the Melbourne Storm development system.

While disappointed to lose both the contest (Widnes edged it 20-14) and Stack, who took a knock during the game, Crarey said: “Jarrad was as good as ever, and it’s a measure of the man he is that he apologised for coming off injured.

“Stacky is an incredible bloke and an incredible player, so professional, and if it’s at all possible, I’d like him to go around again. He’s so valuable around the place, and we’d certainly look after him.”

Stack was making a 179th Barrow appearance while compatriot Ryan King, the 28-year-old pack man recruited from Whitehaven ahead of this season, reached 100 matches for his three English clubs (he also had a stint at Halifax) and the Italy national team, whom he represented at the 2022 World Cup.

Crarey felt his side had enough chances to account for Widnes and avoid a fifth successive loss, adding: “We didn’t have that push.

“I couldn’t fault the efforts of either team in the heat, but I just thought Widnes were a little bit smarter and had miles more possession.

“That’s five defeats straight now, but we’ve been in every one. We need to keep being in every game, but be a bit wiser.”