PAUL Crarey believes securing the likes of Ryan Fieldhouse for another season will help make Barrow Raiders a more attractive proposition for other players.

Full-back Fieldhouse was one of the first members of the current squad, along with captain Oliver Wilkes, to commit to the club for the 2017 season and more are set to follow in the coming weeks.

And Raiders head coach Crarey is in no doubt being able to retain the services of such players helps in both their recruitment of new signings and convincing current members of the squad to stay on.

“It attracts player and people like that who are willing to travel when they could probably play around their own area speaks volumes for us,” said Crarey. “It was pretty difficult to get Ryan here in the first place, but now he's here he really enjoys it.

“He's part of our spine that makes us click and we don't want to try to educated a full team and start again next year, because we know how difficult it can be in this division. As soon as we hit pre-season, we want to go straight back into structure and refine it, not teach it.

“With Ryan staying, it can help the younger players as well and he's very professional in his approach, and he's a good, solid player. The biggest thing is he's a great lad as well, very easy to get on with and very professional in where he wants to go and what he wants to do.

“He could probably play top-end Championship, but he's happy to stay with us and make us a more solid team that could get to the Championship.”

Lewis Charnock and Jarrad Stack are two of those who have been sufficiently impressed by what is happening at Craven Park to sign from St Helens and Workington Town respectively.

Crarey is keen to make more additions to his squad before the Raiders return to pre-season training next month, but at the same time he wants to ensure the majority of the team which reached the Kingstone Press League One play-off final remain on board.

If Barrow can do that, Crarey is optimistic they will be in a good position to not only win promotion in 2017, but also have the basis of a side which can compete in the second tier as well.

“Everyone wants to play Championship rugby, but the top end of this division is like the bottom end of the Championship,” said Crarey. “You look at Oldham and Swinton who went up last year, they managed to stay up and we beat both of them last year.

“It's getting a bit of luck to get out of this division, but it's also building a side that you don't have to change a lot when you get up there.

“You can add to it and maybe a few lads will retire, but when you talk to players they ask who is there and when you mention the big names, they take a punt on it and come in - especially the younger players. They ask if those players are staying first and foremost rather than how far is it to Barrow and how long will it take.

“Lads are wanting to play rugby and with the best players, and you only learn off the best players. Our senior players have been brilliant looking after our younger players and they treat them like family, and what we want is one big family.”