Barrow Raiders head coach Paul Crarey is delighted by the show of loyalty new captain Jarrad Stack has displayed to the club, as the Australian second row prepares for what is probably his final season at Craven Park.

Stack will inherit the armband for the 2020 campaign and succeed the retired Martin Aspinwall, having already displayed his leadership qualities to great effect since arriving at the Raiders from Workington Town in 2016.

He did receive offers to go elsewhere following Barrow's relegation from the Betfred Championship this year, but turned those down in order to give it one last go and try and get them back in the second tier by signing a new one-year contract.

He will be staying put in south Cumbria despite his mother's ongoing illness back home, for which he was allowed to travel back to spend time with his family midway through last season.

Crarey said: "A few clubs contacted him - he told me that himself - but there was only one club he wanted to play for, he said.

"He's really enjoyed his time with us - me and him get on really well and he just said 'I want to finish my time here then, if I can, I will emigrate to Australia with my family and spend time with my mum.'

"There was only one place he was going to go to and that was here. For him to commit to us for one last year, when he could have took the money somewhere else and probably play at a higher level as well, and stay loyal to us, speaks volumes for the type of person he is."

Stack continued to give it his all on the pitch while going through the stress his personal issues may have caused, with Crarey holding him up as an example to the rest of his squad, who in turn hold him in high regard.

"He's just a good bloke," Crarey said, adding: "Over the five years we've been here, we've put a culture in place where we want honest players and committed players and the ones that aren't don't get a contract at the end of the year, even though they kick and scream that they want to stay, some of them.

"It's all about attitude and culture and sometimes we get players that haven't got that, although you don't know that until you sign them.

"But Jarrad just leads by example, he's just so ferocious at training and the lads look up to him, like they did with Martin. He's great to have around the place."