Barrow Raiders head coach Paul Crarey believes the performances of young local players at the club justifies why he doesn’t get involved with the dual registration system used by other Betfred Championship clubs.

The Raiders are unable to call on players from Super League clubs like St Helens, Warrington or Leeds, with their location proving to be prohibitive anyway.

‘Dual reg’ players have proved to be important in the battle against relegation to League One, with the likes of Swinton Lions and Dewsbury Rams feeling the benefit of using some of the brightest prospects at top flight clubs.

Barrow’s relegation could be confirmed at Sheffield Eagles on Sunday, but Crarey maintains bringing through players like Luke Cresswell, Jake Carter, Ryan Johnston and Adam Ford is pivotal to the club’s future, even though the drop to the third tier now looks certain.

Crarey said: “Unless we get a nucleus of a locally-based team, we’ll wither up and die.

“Fordy has had a great year with the academy side [Furness Raiders] in his third year and he came in against Bradford and didn’t look out of place and he’ll play again before the end of the year.

“Tee Ritson pulled out because of a concussion and he probably has to see a neurosurgeon because of the condition he’s in, but Fordy is playing and the only way the club will survive is if we can nurture the local talent.

“Nobody is not on our radar and what we’re going to do is nurture the kids that we’ve got who’ve got a good attitude and have come through our system before we eventually throw them in.

“You wouldn’t have known that Fordy was 18 and making his senior debut against Bradford Bulls, where he scores a try, is solid on yardage, solid at kick-offs in a swirling wind under a high ball.

“He’s fitted in nicely and that’s the future of the club - whether they want to go in a different direction, that’s up to the club.”