BARROW Raiders are in talks with four players they want to bring in next season to strengthen the side and go for promotion in 2016.

The Craven Park club – looking increasingly likely to miss out on a top-five League One play-off place this season – are expecting to reveal their targets later this week.

The mystery targeted quartet – all from Championship clubs – are a front-rower, centre, half-back and full-back.

Raiders team manager Dave Kendall, part of coach Paul Crarey’s backroom staff, says the board have given them backing to pursue the players.

Now the decision will rest on whether they want to come to Craven Park and join the battle to push their way out of League One to the Championship.

Kendall – along with the management team, who are also in talks about their own futures with Barrow – said directors of rugby Mike Sunderland and Andy Gaffney are like-minded about bringing the players to the club.

“We are talking to one or two new players,” said Kendall.

“We have been talking to Mike Sunderland and Andy Gaffney, they are in the same frame of mind as us.

“They have told us they are going to get us what players we want, so if that is the case we feel quite confident for next year.

“They have agreed with everyone that we have spoken about.

“We are looking at four players minimum, we know exactly the players we want but getting them is a different matter, obviously with us being in Barrow.

“But they have been spoken to. They are all Championship players.

“We know where we are loose and if we get these players, then that’s what we need to hopefully win the league next year.”

Those the club will be keen to keep

are forwards Craig Briscoe and Anthony Bate, who joined Barrow until the end of the season after their release from Leigh Centurions, and Joe Bullock, who will also be up for grabs as he is due to become a free agent for next year.

Barrow will want a replacement for veteran half-back Peter Lupton, who is United States-bound to be reunited with his family, while experienced Askamite prop Jamie Butler has announced he will retire from the semi-professional ranks.

The faithful Raiders servant, in his testimonial season after 10 years with the club, suffered from concussion in pre-season and has been unable to play during this campaign.

In another move, Kendall was due to meet up with the management team last night to discuss the players they wish to retain for next year.

Regarding his own future, Kendall continued: “We have had quite formal chats (with the board) and again they have agreed everything that we have asked for, the direction we have asked for the club to go in.

“Everything has been positive, there have been no negatives, they are going out to give us what we want.

“I think they have made more funds available for players, it is all very positive.

“It has already been agreed what sort of finances we are going to require so we know what we have got to get these extra players.”