Last updated at 16:54, Thursday, 21 June 2012

THE light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter at Craven Park.

IN: Jamie Butler

All but four of Darren Holt’s troops have trained this week – and three of those who did not were on RL Nines duty with Cumbria.

The situation is a stark turnaround for a Barrow Raiders squad who in the past few weeks have had almost as many players out injured as they have had fit to play.

Holt expects at least three of the missing men – Chris Larkin, Jamie Butler and Andy Ballard – to be available to face North Wales Crusaders on Sunday, while the others are not far behind, giving him some welcome selection dilemmas as the side aim to maintain top spot in Championship One. Everybody trained, so everybody is getting back and close to fitness,” said Holt, who also has second-row forward James Gordon back this weekend after he missed a fortnight of action due to work commitments.

“Whether or not people are fully fit to play is another thing, but certainly everybody is back out on the training pitch. It just might be another couple of weeks before they are ready to go out and play the game.

“But they are all back on the training pitch, which is a good thing and very soon we should be somewhere close to a full complement.

“It has been a long time coming, but it is very welcome – there may be some decisions to make this week for a change.”

Only Lee Haney missed training with injury – though he has played through the pain of a shoulder injury the past few weeks. Holt was among those to have a run-out at Craven Park earlier in the week, when James Dandy, Ruairi McGoff and Mike Backhouse were missing as they helped Cumbria to the finals of the RL Nines at Headingley next week.

The trio all came through apparently unscathed, though Holt is wary of testing his luck when it comes to picking up more injuries.

“I’ll have to molly-coddle them a bit this week I suppose,” added Holt of his squad. “Chris Larkin is potentially back this week, Andy Ballard will definitely be back this week, James Gordon is available again and Jamie Butler was back training and he will be up for selection.

“Jack Pedley is back out training and champing at the bit to get a game. We will have to monitor Jack and just see how he is. He’s in full training, but you have to be wary with it – you don’t want him to relapse and go back over it all again.

“The three lads who played the nines are all okay as far as I know as well – but they will probably turn up on Thursday with broken legs!”

l The Raiders Bar will be open tonight to show the Dewsbury v Halifax Championship game on Premier Sports. The game kicks off at 7.30pm, doors open 7.15pm.

First published at 13:50, Thursday, 21 June 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk