IF Nathan Mossop can learn a thing or two about the art of being a hooker, then Barrow Raiders head coach Paul Crarey is probably as good a person as anyone to teach him.

Of course, the number nine role has arguably changed beyond recognition since Crarey’s playing days at Craven Park in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when contested scrums were still very much the norm and opposing front rows engaged in various unspeakable acts to gain the upper hand.

Nevertheless, a long spell on the sidelines at the start of last season due to snapping a bicep tendon allowed Mossop the opportunity to spend time gleaning insights into improving his game and while he admits he does not recall much about Crarey the player – who his father, Steve, played alongside in the Barrow pack – that one-to-one time proved hugely beneficial.

“I can’t remember Paul playing at Barrow,” said Mossop. “I think I might have been to a game when he was playing, but he was probably a bit of a different player to me.

“Paul was one of those who would probably rough you up and was a tough, no-nonsense player.

“But even at 28, Paul has brought aspects to my game which have improved me and I remember last year, he sat me down and went through things I hadn’t been doing throughout my career.

“I like to think he can give his expertise and offer any advice. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but I don’t believe that’s true.”

Although he felt Crarey’s words of wisdom and the work done with fitness coach Paddy Maher helped him come back a better player after that 16-week lay-off, it proved a somewhat frustrating season on a personal level for Mossop.

He was still able to make 14 appearances though and contribute to Raiders’ run to the Kingstone Press League One play-off final, only to suffer a dislocated ankle and muscle damage while chasing back and trying to stop hosts Toulouse Olympique scoring just before the end of the first half.

“It was a bit of a double-blow,” said Mossop, reflecting on the 32-22 loss in France.

“It was one of those where I was probably chasing a lost cause where it happened.

“They broke through on the right edge, and I chased back and caught up with the guy, but stepped on the inside and it was just uneven ground which took my leg away from me, and that was the rest of my game, unfortunately.

“It was a tough blow to take, but the good thing on that day was the lads competed with Toulouse, who had been head and shoulders above everybody all year. It’s something to build on for next year, anyway.”

Ten of Mossop’s appearances for Barrow during the 2016 campaign saw him come off the interchange bench as an impact player and as relief for starting hooker Karl Ashall – a tactic which has become the norm at all levels.

The old adage about rugby league being a 17-man game these days means starting on the bench does not deny players plenty of game-time and Mossop admits a preference for being introduced to the fray after Ashall and his team-mates have spent much of the first quarter trying to soften up their opponents.

“It’s pretty standard procedure across most teams,” said Mossop. “If you look at Super League, it’s very rare that you’ll find a nine who plays the full 80 minutes.

“There is the odd player, but it’s because it’s quite an impact position where you’ve got to be quite fresh and you do get targeted in that middle – especially being a smaller bloke in comparison to the bigger lads.

“But if I can lean towards one, I’d probably say I do prefer coming off the bench, but whether I’m starting or not then I’m not too fussed – as long as I’m in and around the team.”

The Raiders squad returned to pre-season training this week, with Mossop nearing a full recovery from his injured ankle – save for some minor swelling which still needs to be managed.

And although he felt some frustration over how the 2016 season panned out personally, he is delighted with the success the team had and is eager to ensure Barrow pick up where they left off in a bid to secure promotion to the Championship.

“The biggest thing is building on what we achieved last year,” said Mossop. “Paul talks about how he has been trying to implement his style of rugby on the team for the past few years and I think maybe it did take up until last year to fully understand what he wanted to do.

“I know that seems daft, but every single lad who was in the squad – not just in the team – bought into what Paul and his team wanted to do last year, and it worked.

“The hardest thing for us this year will be being consistent.

“Yes, we did all right in the middle eights, but let’s try to compete and be consistent for the full year. Hopefully we can do that.”