A MORE than satisfactory performance against Newcastle as we continue our preparation for the season.

I sensed a real buzz about the ground during and after the match as our attack looked the best it has been for years. The addition of Jarrod Sammut and Hakim Miloudi has given the team something different and they are both capable of opening defences and putting us on the front foot. They weren’t alone though, and we can start to get excited about the season.

I am confident that the squad we have put together will be competitive and will put a smile on our supporters faces. There is depth to the squad and our bench looked a lot stronger than Newcastle’s although admittedly they threw a few Academy players on near the end.

The squad we have assembled has not come cheap. There seems to be an assumption that we are a rich club given all the work we did off the field last season. I’m afraid that isn’t true. The outgoings to run a professional rugby league club are relentless and we have had a lot of planned spend and also significant unplanned expenditure, especially with regards to ground repairs.

I must admit that when we put together our budget, we were gambling that our success off the field will be repeated in 2022. We simply must continue with our events programme and hope that the public of Furness respond.

We need to be mindful of disturbing our local residents, but the council have allowed us to have four major outdoor events this year and we need them to be successful.

We will be repeating our Oktoberfest event and after the success of the inaugural year you would hope that this could grow. In June we have lined up some of the biggest tribute acts in the country with something for everyone. The likes of Queen, The Beatles, Abba, Ed Sheeran and Pink will be performing with tickets available on the Raiders website.

We also have Paddyfest in March which will be a similar theme to Oktoberfest, obviously with an Irish angle. Another opportunity for the people of Barrow to dress up for the evening and enjoy something different.

CiderFest is coming on the last weekend in May and once again we are hoping that we can create another success. We are using the same team who have organised the event at Hawcoat Park in the past, so we are hoping to tap into a proven formula.

On Saturday, February 12 we are hosting a Comedy Night in our heated marquee and once again we are trying to give Barrow that little something different. Not everyone simply wants to go on a pub crawl.

We have a twin aim of growing the rugby club, but we are also committed to improving Barrow. There is a concern that our talented youngsters leave the area never to return and it is important that Barrow is an attractive place to live.

Having a successful professional football and rugby teams are part of that as well as providing sporting opportunities for our local population. That is also why the twin community programmes do such an important job. Again, these don’t come cheap and both clubs need backing.

This coming Friday, January 21 is our Sponsors and Supporters Evening in our heated marquee. All the players and coaching staff will be in attendance and our invite extends to all our supporters, whether sponsors or not.

The players will be spread round the room on different tables, so it is an opportunity for our fans to really engage with them and have a unique night.