DAVID Cairns is impressed with the spirit which has developed in the Furness Raiders squad during the first half of the 2018/19 College Rugby League season.

It has been a season of change for the under-19s team, with Cairns taking over as head coach and several new players stepping up to replace the experienced squad members who have now graduated to open-age level.

But the new-look Furness team have carried on producing the same strong results and Cairns is delighted with how quickly the new players have settled in.

“There are one or two coming in each week who have just started after injury or are new lads, and they’re fitting in really well,” said Cairns. “The enthusiasm in the training is shining through.

“It’s progressing and I think that’s what happens when your confidence gets higher, so everybody steps up a little bit.”

“They’re a really good group. On the bus on the way to games, it’s a good atmosphere and the same again on the way back. Winning breeds that good feeling amongst the players, but I’m really impressed with the whole group.

“They’re a good set of lads who want to learn and want to progress, and from a coaching point of view that gives me a lift as well.”

Among those who have recently come in are Millom’s Dylan Sykes, who played off the interchange bench in last Wednesday’s match away to Salford Red Devils Rising Stars, and Askam’s Owen Bridle.

That was the final match of the year for Furness and it saw them end 2018 in a positive manner, running out 42-8 victors.

It was not as comfortable as the result sounds though, with the Raiders’ arrival being delayed following a switch of venue and making a slow start due to disrupted preparation.

But they soon clicked into gear and Cairns is pleased to see continued improvement from his young charges.

“In the first stages of the game, it was quite tight,” said Cairns. “It was a horrible, rainy, wet night, played on a 4G pitch and we got there quite late, so our preparation wasn’t great.

“But when they settled down and got into their pattern, it was a really strong performance and I’m really impressed with a lot of the lads. They’re getting better as a team.

“It’s massive because it gives you something else to work on. I’m starting to get used to the lads and every game, I know a lot more about each individual lad and ones who can do certain things.”

Furness return to action in the College Rugby League Premier Division on Wednesday, January 16 with a trip to Wakefield.