PAUL Crarey is enjoying the relative luxury of having something of a selection dilemma ahead of Barrow Raiders’ home game with Batley Bulldogs on Sunday.

The Raiders have been hamstrung in recent months by a rash of injuries, although that situation finally seems to be easing as the Betfred Championship reaches its climax.

Training this week has seen around 20 players taking part as more members of the squad return to full fitness and Barrow head coach Crarey is under no illusions about how important having several players fighting for one spot in the starting 13 is.

“Competition for places is really healthy and it puts pressure on players who are in,” said Crarey, who plans to make changes for the Batley game. “Some will be rested, but the people who are coming in will be under pressure to keep the shirts.

If you’ve got a big squad with no injuries, pressure for places is really healthy because you’ve got to play to keep your shirt. If we can get 22 bodies back and we’ve got to leave players out in selection, it’s healthy for the team and it’s how players react to that.

“We always say to the players if you can’t see it yourself then you’re in a little bit of trouble, so we want the players to see where they’re going wrong and see where they can improve.

“If somebody comes in to give them a rest, take that rest and they’re the ones under pressure, not you, and when you come back in you’ve got to put the things you’ve done wrong right.”

The three-quarters is one area the Raiders have been particularly hard-hit when it comes to injuries, with Shane Toal and full-back-cum-winger Luke Cresswell out for the season, and Declan Hulme still not fully recovered from a knee problem.

That has seen Crarey turn to second row players like Jarrad Stack and Danny Morrow to fill in, along with fans’ favourite Liam Harrison coming out of a retirement to help out in the defeat to Toulouse Olympique.

Wingers Tom Loxam and Toronto Wolfpack loanee Ryan Burrows have filled in there recently too and Crarey is pleased with how they have performed.

But he knows Batley’s back line will pose a big test on Sunday.

“We’ve been struggling in the outside backs and the lads who have come in have done well,” said Crarey.

“We’ve had back row players covering in the centres, but we’ve got a formidable pack and we’ve tended to keep it more in the middle rather than move it about too much for that reason.

“Batley have got some good outside backs, some good halves and a good middle, so it should be a test.”