ANDY Gaffney expects Barrow Raiders to be able to cope better with the rigours of the Betfred Championship in 2019 thanks to the depth of the squad they have assembled.

Brett Carter’s decision to extend his stay with the Raiders has added further depth to the back line and there is the possibility of one more signing to come.

Rugby director Gaffney is pleased with the work which has been done in the off-season and is confident Barrow will be better placed if they suffer a number of injuries, as was the case in 2018.

“The depth in the squad is massive for us this year, so in certain games we’ll be able to change certain things around and know quality players are going to come in, and that’s a big part of it for us this year,” said Gaffney.

“We’re just about there with the squad and there’s the possibility of another one coming in, which we should know soon whether it’s happening or not, but we’re quite a settled group at the moment.”

With the Raiders having put a team together which looks to have a good blend of youth and experience, Gaffney is now looking forward to the pre-season matches.

“Pre-season should go well,” said Gaffney. “We’ve got a few friendlies lined up, the squad has got a great deal of experience and youth, and a lot of very explosive and exciting players.

“It’s a very exciting team this year, it’s just a case of lighting the touchpaper and seeing how high we can go.”