Barrow Raiders have secured another of their key men for the 2020 season after second row Jarrad Stack signed a new one-year contract with the club.

Stack makes a big difference to the Raiders whenever he is in the side, with his powerful running and ability under the high ball making him one of the first names on Paul Crarey's team sheet.

The 31-year-old Australian largely managed to steer clear of the injury curse that affected much of Barrow's squad this year, as he made 23 appearances, scoring eight tries, but he couldn't prevent them from sliding towards relegation from the Betfred Championship.

Since arriving at Craven Park from Cumbrian rivals Workington Town three years ago, Stack has played in 74 games in total for the Raiders and will look to win promotion from League One for a second time with them next year.

Rugby director Andy Gaffney said: "I think Jarrad has been one of our best players, performance-wise, week in, week out and has been since he signed for us.

"He never misses training, he's good to have around the place and on the field, his performances are always up there with the best - they never dip whatsoever.

"To have a player like that in League One is only good and it strengthens us all-round.

"Whenever he plays, he makes a difference. He's got a really good engine and he's really strong and athletic, he's good in defence and in attack. He's just a good all-round player and we're lucky to have a player of Jarrad's calibre with us."

What made Stack's performances last season all the more impressive was the fact that it came with the backdrop of knowing that his mother was ill back in his native Australia.

He was allowed a couple of weeks' leave so he could travel home and visit her and his family, but his mental strength in the face of such adversity served as an inspiration to his teammates.

Gaffney said: "He's got a very strong character and he's very focused on what he does.

"He went back home to Australia for a few weeks, but when he came back he just carried on from where he left off. He's a great person as well, very humble."

Stack's eye for the try line is another reason why Barrow were so keen on keeping him for a fourth season, as they'll be expected to make most of the running in the majority of their games back in League One.

"A big strength for Jarrad is that he scores a lot of tries and he also creates a lot, so he is going to be a key player. It doesn't matter where he plays when the ball is in the air, as he leaps like a salmon to gather it in," Gaffney said.