ADAM Ford and Charlie Emslie have both been making a good impression with Barrow Raiders after being invited to train with the senior squad during pre-season.

The Furness Raiders under-19s pair were given the opportunity after making their mark in the College Rugby League competition.

Dalton amateur and ex-St Helens youth player Jack Stephenson has joined in recently too, and Barrow head coach Paul Crarey is delighted with how all of them have stepped up.

“Charlie and Adam have been absolutely fantastic, and they’re great kids,” said Crarey.

“All of our kids in the academy are well-disciplined, and you can bring them in and they just slot right in.

“Jack Stephenson had a leg injury, and we’ve let him train with us and he was really good. We used him for structure and he just sat in.”

The entire Furness Raiders squad will be training with the first team today, joining them for some fitness work at Roanhead before returning to Craven Park.

Crarey keeps a close watch on their progress, and praised Furness head coach David Cairns and his predecessor Darren Carter for the work they have done with the under-19s.

“They’re a big part of what we do, the academy boys, and they’re doing really well this year,” said Crarey.

“Both David Cairns and Darren Carter have done a tremendous job for us in terms of how professional they are and how disciplined they are, and sticking to the structures.

“It’s very easy to drift off the first-team structures, but they stuck to it and got them ingrained in what the first-team are doing, and have been absolutely brilliant in the delivery of it.”