Barrow Raiders head coach Paul Crarey believes his players are already in good shape should they be required to restart the rugby league season next month.

The Raiders were just four games into their campaign before the coronavirus pandemic led to all sporting activity in the United Kingdom being suspended, leaving 18 of their Betfred League One fixtures unfulfilled.

Under normal circumstances, Crarey’s side would have been preparing for the trip up the coast to Cumbrian rivals Workington Town next week, but instead they’re now heading towards a fourth month of keeping their fitness ticking over.

In terms of a return date, nothing concrete has been announced by the Rugby Football League, with talks ongoing as to when it will be safe for teams to restart their seasons.

Crarey said: “We’d be ready within three weeks, really. We’ve set ourselves, with the conditioning coaches, three weeks, which is a graded return to full contact.

“Physically, with the stats we’ve had off Paddy [Maher], the lads are doing really well.

“I spoke to Jamie Dallimore and he reckons he’s doing about 28-30 miles a day on his bike and doing all sorts of things Paddy has been giving them and there probably hasn’t been much else to do for the players, either, so they’re all doing something.

“We had a meeting with [chairman] Steve Neale on the pitch the other night - about six of us - all discussing a way back with the guidelines that we’ve been given.

“Some of them are marked clear and we need some clarity on what we can and can’t do, but if there’s any way we can get back to even training then we’ll try and do it.”

In both codes, rugby is set to be the last major sport to return, with current social-distancing rules making it impossible for matches as we know them to go ahead.

Crarey is confident, however, that the right guidelines will be put in place for games to take place safely, which includes regular testing of players to prevent them potentially spreading the virus.

He said: “I think they’ve given the green light for contact in rugby union and stuff like that and the thing is if you’re clear of COVID after being tested, and everyone who’s on that field is clear, there is no danger of infection.

“Testing, I think, is the biggest thing. If people get tested and see if they’ve had it or they’ve got it or have any symptoms, then they just quarantine them.

“We’ve got to find a way to do it, rather than a way not to do it, not just with sport but with everything because a lot of people I know and businesses are financially struggling through it all.”