BARROW Raiders chairman Steve Neale believes their new deal with Wigan Warriors will bring future international stars to Cumbria.

Neale is delighted that Raiders have signed a dual-registration agreement with the World Club champions and believes it will benefit both clubs.

He told The Mail: “They are trusting us to help progress these youngsters, some of whom will undoubtedly turn out to be internationals.

“We’ve got these players at the start of their career and in two to three years time, we will be watching them play for England, I’ve got no doubt about it.”

The agreement is a real shot in the arm for Raiders, who have seen injuries and absences take their toll.

 Neale added: “It’s really important for the club. We’ve only got a small squad and already we have started to pick up one or two injuries.

“So we are eating into that squad, and while we have got a few youngsters who are projects, who we are looking to develop over the next few years it is difficult to throw them all in at once.

“So this dual registration with Wigan will allow us to bring some quality players in who aren’t quite making the first team at Wigan.

“Wigan have probably got the best junior set-up in the league.

“Their reserve team won the reserves’ Grand Final last year and they’ve got a very, very big first-team squad, so it can only be good for the club that we are going to be able to draw on some quality players.

“It’s also going to be good for Wigan because they will see some of their players who are on the fringes of the first team get games in the Championship, which is a much better quality than the reserves league.”

Raiders have already had three young Warriors on loan this season – Harvey Makin joined before the start of the campaign, but was then recalled and sent to Super League outfit London Broncos on loan.

And currently Tom Forber and most recently Finley Beardsworth have arrived at the Northern Competitions Stadium on loan.

Neale believes that relationship has played a big part in getting the agreement over the line.

He said: “The players we have had on loan will no doubt have been asked for feedback of how we’ve looked after them, how they are being coached and what training is like.

“Paul Crarey (Raiders head coach) is a very experienced coach and he’s very good at man management, so he embraces the players and welcomes them and allows them to become part of the team.

“Obviously, that will have got back to Wigan and we’ve got a very good relationship with their coaches – John Duffy the reserve team coach and Matt Peet the first-team coach.

“They’ve have entrusted us to look after their projects and that is a real feather in the cap for the club.”