Barrow boss Paul Crarey has had some nice things to say about the Roughyeds’ new half-back Lewis Charnock on the eve of Oldham’s game at Craven Park in a pre-season warm-up game.
Charnock, who has joined Matt Diskin’s new-look squad on a two-year deal, played at Barrow for three seasons under Crarey, who should know what he is talking about.
The former St Helens and Bradford Bulls pivot suffered shoulder and jaw injuries while at Craven Park, but that was down to his physicality and his desire to run at the line, said the Barrow chief.
He added:
“As a small half-back, you can pay the price for that. Some pivots play in dinner suits. Others, like Lewis, play at the line.
“We wanted to sign him again , but he wanted to stay in the Championship. He’s a good kid — very physical in his approach — and he’ll be a good addition for Oldham.”
The Barrow squad includes three new signings in centre Perry Singleton from Workington; prop or loose-forward Carl Forster from Rochdale; and a local lad who is a hot prospect, front-rower Connor Terrill.
Oldhamer Lee Jewitt, a fourth new boy, will be kept back for later challenges, while the Raiders’ two players from PNG have not yet arrived.
The 21-man squad still includes several players with big reputations at this level such as Jamie Dallimore, Tee Ritson, Jono Smith, Jarrad Stack and Jordan Walne.
The squad also includes several youngsters who play locally, one of them teenager Joe Clarey, the boss’s son, who will fill-in at hooker because Raiders currently have a problem in that position.
Crarey jnr. is also highly rated and there’s a feeling locally that he would have already been given his chance had he not been the boss’s boy.
Squad: Carter, Crarey, Cresswell, Hulme, Dallimore, Ford, Garner, Forster, Hopkins, Johnstone, Jones, McBain, Ritson, Saunders, Smith, Stack, D Toal, Tyson, Terrill, Singleton, Walne.
Added Crarey:
“Oldham have signed a few Championship players and they’re always tenacious because they have players who can defend well. They’ve also got Lewis (Charnock), who is a very fierce competitor.
“Nobody is going to be at their best and the ground is a bit heavy so it’s going to be a slog — just what we need to blow the cobwebs away.”
