JOE Bullock is keen to see what the players on Barrow Raiders' under-16s development programme can do when they take on Dowdales School tonight.

The match at Craven Park will see a Furness Select team take on what is regarded as the strongest school team in the area, along with being the first time the Raiders' under-16s have played together.

The group, who have all been nominated by coaches at their amateur clubs, have been training alongside the Furness Raiders under-19s team every Monday night for the past month and coach Bullock now wants to see how they fare in a match.

“Every kid wants to be playing rugby and the benefit of getting these games together is that we can get a really strong side,” said Bullock. “That's where players are going to flourish the most, playing in competitive games.

“It's a good opportunity to put their skills together. Dowdales are a good side and it will be a good opportunity for these to test themselves, and also for those who aren't involved with the elite squad to put their hands up and show they want an opportunity to step up to that as well.”

Furness Academy PE teacher Stuart Porter has played a big part in helping bring the team together for this match, along with helping Raiders prop Bullock and head coach Paul Crarey in preparing the youngsters.

He anticipates a closely-fought contest and is in no doubt both the players and the clubs in the area are benefiting from Barrow's decision to expand their youth section to include the under-16s age group.

“It should be interesting because you've got a very strong Dowdales team, but then very strong players from each school coming into one to make this Furness Select team,” said Porter.

“It's brilliant for the lads to have this access. Dowdales are strong, but a lot of the other schools have got three or four talented players. It gives them the chance to play against a very talented side they might not have had just playing for their school team.

“It's all going in a positive direction for the club, and getting these lads together and in one team is only going to take things forward. It's definitely going to help these players who have got the ability and the talent, it's just getting the right coaching into them now.”

Bullock, who is also heading up Barrow's community department along with new signings Brett Carter and Tom Walker, is pleased with the progress which has been made in a relatively short space of time and is optimistic it will one day lead to some of these players breaking through into the senior side.

“It's been really good,” said Bullock. “Our community coaches have put forward their best players, so we've got an elite 16s team.

“We've been following the same programme Daz Carter has set up with the under-19s, so everything is the same and hopefully we're setting up a pathway for the kids to progress up from the under-16s to the first team.

“The kids have taken to it really well, they're coming down and committed, and I think we're getting some really quality sessions out of it.”