PAUL Crarey was in his element watching Barrow Raiders and Wigan Warriors battle it out in wet and muddy conditions reminiscent of his own playing days.

Players on both teams were virtually indistinguishable at full time in last Saturday’s pre-season encounter, which saw the Raiders earn an 18-18 draw against the Super League side.

Such conditions might be a rarity in this era of summer rugby league, but they were a regular occurrence for Barrow head coach Crarey when he was playing for the club and he enjoyed seeing how both teams coped with the element of speed taken out of the game by the rain and heavy ground.

“Both sides wanted to play and I thought it was a good spectacle in the conditions,” said Crarey. “Our lot were moaning and their lot were moaning, but we used to do that every week with short 10s and snow and everything.

“It was like going back to the 1980s and I like to watch games like that because there is errors and speed is not the winner.

“Sometimes in the modern game, speed is the winner, but on that you’ve got to have all of your principles – your catch, your pass, your first touch has got to be good if you’re a nine, you’ve got to deliver a good pass – and if they’re not then you get found out.”

Not only was the clash with Wigan an opportunity for the Raiders squad to be tested by a full-time side ahead of the Betfred Championship opener away to Batley Bulldogs this Sunday, but it was also a chance give some of their younger squad members more game-time.

Up and coming halves Jake Carter and Ryan Johnston both put in encouraging displays against a Warriors team featuring a mix of first-team and youth players, while under-19s winger Adam Ford – who plays open-age rugby for Walney Central – made his third outing of pre-season against the club he spent time at as an under-16.

“I was talking to (Wigan head coach) Adrian Lam at the end and he said they had a lot of young players out there, but we have as well,” said Crarey.

“We’ve got local kids who have been homegrown by us and are doing really well, and stepping up and putting a mark on the game.

“That’s the future of the club; we want to farm our own and we want those with good attitudes to stop and play. Jake and Ryan Johnston are the future halves of this club and we’ve got to nurture them, and Fordy has done a tremendous job for us.

“He’s got a fantastic attitude; he’s got no contract here, but he comes training and I’d probably like to sign the kid here, but I don’t want to take him away from Walney and not play him.”