THE League One play-off final in France now seems a distant memory. It was an almighty effort to be proud of by the Raiders, but unfortunately Toulouse secured promotion to the Championship with a 32-22 victory.

Toulouse were odds-on favourites to gain promotion, but no–one expected Rochdale Hornets – who survive on gates of 400 – to have gained promotion also.

After an inconsistent start to the season, Barrow’s finish was superb and we had the measure of Rochdale going into the play-offs, and fully expected to be playing them in the other promotion game. But they went and surprised the rugby league world by winning in Toulouse. It was the Frenchmen’s only defeat and it basically cost us promotion.

A lot has happened over the last three months down at Craven Park; Chairman David Sharpe resigned and two other directors also resigned from the board, Dawn Knowles and Phil Heighton.

Ex-Evening Mail journalist Leo Clarke has joined the board and is briefed in his new role with taking responsibility for media and communications. Paul Crarey and his backroom staff all renewed their contracts, which was good news, and they have been busy on the recruitment front to plug the gaps left by Chris Hankinson, Cameron Pitman, Liam Harrison and Anthony Bate departing.

The majority of last season’s squad has re-signed and the new additions are class acts. Lewis Charnock, Tom Walker, Jarrod Stack, Declan Hulme and ex-Raiders Academy star Brett Carter will all be wearing Barrow’s colours next season.

I got a glimpse of the new team against a game Barrow and district amateur side last Sunday and although it was a total mismatch, there was enough there to suggest that Barrow will be thereabouts again this forthcoming season. Barrow have put together a very formidable squad and the only threat I see are newcomers Toronto Wolfpack.

The RFL have taken a massive leap of faith in inviting Toronto into British rugby league.

It’s very controversial, but I must admit that after watching the press conference on Youtube (I recommend you do the same), I was very impressed with the professionalism and passion of all concerned in the project and I think it will be a tremendous success, with the Canadian club probably playing in Super League in two years’ time.

In fact, Wolfpack CEO Eric Perez has told any rugby league clubs moaning about the prospect of heading to Toronto for a game (and Barrow are one of them!) that it shows more about their problems and attitudes.

He also believes the introduction of the Wolfpack can bring in a new era of professionalism into the game and if any players, and clubs are whingeing about having to take time off work to play, they need to take a long, hard look at themselves.

The Wolfpack will pay for teams to fly out on a Thursday and back on a Sunday, rendering that argument pointless in Perez’s eyes.

“If you can’t take a day off work to come to Canada and play for your club, you have to think, are these clubs really sustainable?”

Toronto is a city of six million people and the projections are that they will fill their Lamport Stadium every home game with 9,000 fans.

Former Leigh boss Paul Rowley is coaching them, supported by ex-Raiders favourite Kurt Haggerty, and former Great Britain chief Brian Noble is Director of rugby.

They have assembled a fantastic squad, primarily made up from last year’s runaway Championship champions Leigh Centurions.

It is a pity they are not due to play at Craven Park as that would have been some spectacle, but the Barrow faithful have that cross- Atlantic trip to look forward to – quicker than a trip to London.

Happy Christmas!