PAUL Crarey will return to pre-season training with Barrow Raiders this morning having enjoyed some rare time away from rugby league during the off-season.

In previous years, the Raiders head coach would have been spending the weeks between the end of the campaign and pre-season negotiating contracts and sourcing new recruits to put a squad in place.

But he was able to have a much-needed family holiday before returning to sign a two-year contract extension, with chairman Steve Neale and rugby director Andy Gaffney taking on the recruitment and retention responsibilities in consultation with Crarey.

“Steve Neale and Andy Gaffney have done a tremendous job, with the rest of the board, and it’s the first time I’ve had an off-season for the last four years,” said Crarey.

“I’ve gone on my holiday and chilled, and they’ve gone and done the business, but kept me in the loop and done all the work I’ve normally had to do myself with Andy.

“It’s been brilliant and it’s like a breath of fresh air. It’s unbelievable, the transformation from the mid-season crisis we had to where we are now.”

There will be several new faces walking through the gates at Craven Park this morning when the squad report back to begin preparations for the 2019 Betfred Championship season.

Among those reporting today will be Tee Riston, Jake Spedding, Deon Cross and Gareth Hock, with the Papua New Guinean trio of Stargroth Amean, Wartovo Puara Jr and Willie Minoga set to link up with the Raiders shortly.

Barrow’s transfer ambitions have been helped by securing extra prize-money for finishing mid-table in the Championship Shield phase of last season and the money from Joe Bullock’s transfer to Wigan Warriors.

But Crarey insists there has been no splashing the cash from the club, with the playing budget still being tightly controlled.

“We’ve been very, very shrewd in how we’ve managed our money,” said Crarey. “We targeted a group of players and our own players, and the best deal for Barrow Rugby, we’ve come up with.

“If players wanted an excessive amount of money, we’ve not gone for the cheaper option but for the person who doesn’t command a lot of money and just wants the opportunity.

“Most of the players have had an opportunity to re-sign and the players we have signed, we’re probably running at a cheaper cost than we have done in the past few years.

“We’ve enhanced our squad and saved money doing it.”