BARROW RAIDERS coach Paul Crarey says Dan Knott is pointing the way forward for the club and believes a little patience from fans will pay off in the long term.
The winger who came through the club’s development pathway run in partnership with nearby Furness College chalked up his third try in nine appearances this year as Whitehaven were beaten 42-20 at the Speed Competitions Stadium.
Soon to be 21, Knott emerged from the Dalton community club to the north of Barrow and made his debut in the 38-4 home win over Salford in January.
“I thought Dan had his best game yet,” said Crarey, whose side are looking to the play-offs after wrapping up their regular-season season fixtures against Whitehaven, when Ellis Robson made his 150th career appearance and both Charlie Emslie and Luke Broadbent reached 100 for the club.
“With the salary cap incoming, we’re going to have to bring through more of our own players, and Dan is a great example of the talent in our area.
“He’s really developing as a person and a player, but of course it takes time, and it also takes patience from supporters.”
The Raiders lost try-scoring winger Tee Ritson for the season to an Achilles tendon injury sustained in June.
“We could have gone down the loan route, but we wanted to give Dan a chance, and he’s taking it,” added Crarey.
Barrow can now boast doubles over Whitehaven and Workington, and Crarey proclaimed: “We’re proud kings of Cumbria, but the win didn’t come easily.
“Whitehaven were full of energy, and in the phases when we were a bit untidy, they fed off that.
“Our completion needs to be far better, but then when you think it was roughly 63 percent and we scored 42 points, that’s encouraging.”