no not smithy!

Oh dear, this has really stung you, Gazza, ain't it ... and after the "Rooney Rooney" thread where you got all giddy and excited you've been made to look a right proper Charlie, eh?



Losing the star player of the Championship is "Small in comparison to what we may lose (oh sorry "loose"

)", oh dear, what gobbledigook, even by your standards!

Not been funny here, Gazza, but the Cumbrian clubs have always struggled because they've found it extremely hard to attract good players to the North West outpost ... over the years we've even had good Cumbrian players heading South to ply their trade ... as for non Cumbrian star players in Cumbria ... very very difficult. Ellis is an extremely bad loss for Barrow, you'll do very well to get a replacement as good as he.

Ellis was a pretty raw 21 year old released by Hull KR at the end of 2006. He's matured at Barrow and become the player he is today.

How have I been stung ? You lost me there completely. Cumbrian clubs struggle to attract good players - are you having a laugh ? So the league leaders and Grand final winners, who come from Cumbria, have no good players and have struggled to attract good players ?

Rooney, Luisi, Catic, Bracek, Allen, Bauer, Mossop on Loan .....Do I need to go on ?

Where the hell have you been for the last 9 months !!



Ellis is a massive loss but we will cope and we will find a replacement. We have a fine youngster in Nathan Mossop who is a Cumbrian lad. As much as it pains me to think we may yet lose more players to SL, I actually think it shows the class of player we have at Barrow when a load of Fax and Widnes supporters have done nothing but go on about us loosing our team to other Clubs. Our players may move on because they have won the major honours in The Championship and may seek a new challenge, wheras your lot have still got it all to win. Stung ? I don't think so !



To be honest, I couldn't really give a rats backside if what I heard is true or false. I was merely posting a reply to something said earlier. Anyway bedtime. Ellis has gone (with everybodys blessing I might add), we will get over it and move on. I suggest you do the same and worry about your own players, signings, coach, chairman & BoD. The off season will be very interesting and I think there may be a few shocks in store for us to discuss.

I think its blob week for Gary.

Keep him away from sharp objects and give him a hot water bottle

=blueJamie Rooney - only went on loan to barrow because he was out of favour at wakefield after a heart attack, played with the lads and signed (Lucky for barrow) Zeb Luisi - Quote From www.havenfans.co.uk/index.php?topic=4441.0 : we tried to sign him at the end of last season, he had 3 months left on his visa.the rfl told haven they would not support a visa application for this player and that he would not be classed as a kolpack player they have now supported barrows appliction and given him kolpack status its stinks after russell who had played NRL was knocked back yet the celtics were allowed(even though they havent played NRL) it doesnt looked good for us dont hold out much hope for makisi'" =blue By the looks of things RFL Help (lucky for barrow) Ned Catic - fair do's 1 player you attracted (out of contract at the time) Andy Bracek - a 2nd good signing without luck (imho) Dave Allen Quote David Allen was banned from Rugby League for 12 months by the Rugby Football League after testing positive for Benzoylecgonine a metabolite of cocaine, Allan argued that he has taken the drugs accidentally and the RFL accepted and only issued the 12 month ban however UK Sport appealed and asked the RFL to reconsider their punishment and apply the mandatory two-year ban in the World Anti-Doping Code. It was the first appeal lodged by UK Sport against a sanction imposed by a national governing body on an athlete who failed a drugs test.'" =blue - looks like luck to me... (Lucky for barrow) Andreas Bauer - had to leave doncaster due to administration (Lucky for barrow) IMHO its not that cumbrian teams can attract the players... its just Barrow have alot of luck capturing the players

=blueJamie Rooney - only went on loan to barrow because he was out of favour at wakefield after a heart attack, played with the lads and signed (Lucky for barrow) Zeb Luisi - Quote From www.havenfans.co.uk/index.php?topic=4441.0 : we tried to sign him at the end of last season, he had 3 months left on his visa.the rfl told haven they would not support a visa application for this player and that he would not be classed as a kolpack player they have now supported barrows appliction and given him kolpack status its stinks after russell who had played NRL was knocked back yet the celtics were allowed(even though they havent played NRL) it doesnt looked good for us dont hold out much hope for makisi'" =blue By the looks of things RFL Help (lucky for barrow) Ned Catic - fair do's 1 player you attracted (out of contract at the time) Andy Bracek - a 2nd good signing without luck (imho) Dave Allen Quote David Allen was banned from Rugby League for 12 months by the Rugby Football League after testing positive for Benzoylecgonine a metabolite of cocaine, Allan argued that he has taken the drugs accidentally and the RFL accepted and only issued the 12 month ban however UK Sport appealed and asked the RFL to reconsider their punishment and apply the mandatory two-year ban in the World Anti-Doping Code. It was the first appeal lodged by UK Sport against a sanction imposed by a national governing body on an athlete who failed a drugs test.'" =blue - looks like luck to me... (Lucky for barrow) Andreas Bauer - had to leave doncaster due to administration (Lucky for barrow) IMHO its not that cumbrian teams can attract the players... its just Barrow have alot of luck capturing the players

You make your own luck in life. If you wait for things to fall into your lap you wait a long time.

Des J pestered Wakefield for months to get the services of Rooney. No other club had the foresight to do that. Eventually Kear and co. agreed.

Luisi was turned down for a visa initially, but Barrow put together a case that the RFL simply couldn't turn down. If Haven or any other club had the foresight/work ethic to do the same, they would have acquired his services. Des and our BOD never give in - just like our team.

The Oldham contingent were acquired on deadline day due to Des' contacts in the game and he bargained hard for the best deal possible. Oldham got out of a hole financially and we added 5 quality players that went a long way to securing our overall success in 2009.

The same goes for Bauer as above.

None of this is luck. It takes a lot of hard work putting together a team like we have had in 2009. More so to attract these players to Barrow (outside the M62 honeypot). We're in a much better position now than at the start of the season in that we have proven ourselves and aren't relegation fodder as some may have thought back in January.

Very exciting times ahead. Roll on 2010 (and 2012 !!)

I can't see how it matters either way.
Barrow acquired the best team to win the championship. It worked for them luck or otherwise. What does it matter either way????

Im sorry about that comment.. wasnt being myself at the time i wrote it and it was a comment based on sour-grapes (just gettin over our loss sunday)

id love fax t be that lucky



id like t wish barrow the best of luck (and skill) next year and hope our games are as good as they have been this year.

No worries mate. I know how losing ina final feels after not getting to one for umpteen years - and it aint nice !

Looking forward to some more great matches next season. Fax have certainly raised the bar with the new signings to-date.

Quote SRC Wrote: No worries mate. I know how losing ina final feels after not getting to one for umpteen years - and it aint nice !

Looking forward to some more great matches next season. Fax have certainly raised the bar with the new signings to-date.'"

=blue
Acknowledge the comment, am i must admit u was the better side this season

Hopefully its not too long till our next game so we can turn u over

icon_biggrin.gif

Good Luck next season mate

I think you misunderstand me, Gazza. Barrow won fair and square this season, they have a good team, of course they do. But the Cumbrian clubs will find it extremely difficult to establish a good SUPER LEAGUE team because they'll fail to attract good enough players, which has always been the case. Cumbria might be a lovely place to live and work for folk brought up there, but players would have to up sticks and move ... summat players have been reluctant to do in the past. Barrow will NOT attract enough quality players even if they had loadsadosh to compete in Super League, and I'm sure the Franchise Panel (or whatever they're called) will consider this in a couple of years time.

Barrow would have no trouble attracting players if we got a SL license - that's the least of our concerns. Look at the players we signed in the off season prior to our first year back in the second tier. If we get into SL it maybe that players have to re-locate, but people in just about every profession do that as a matter of course.

The very fact that the RFL are looking to expand the SL footprint means that there is no way they would look harshly on a club away from the M62. If you're playing in the top flight the players will come.

eh?
Re-locating must be a Barrow thing

Who gives a feck about Barrow? We all know both clubs (Fax & Barrow) realistically will not be in SL for a long time due to the RFL-still doesnt mean we cant try.
Barrow have a stadium that is a joke-No proper working lights and a cow shed in some farmers field is probably better condition than the stands at Craven Park. CP needs a major overhaul costing millions and a miracle to even be finished for 2013 let alone 2013. One good year and they think they should be in SL. Lets see how Barrow go next year and see if after a few defeats Desperate Des doesnt throw a few wobblies and if the fan base can stay. Its easy to support a team doing well-lets see them being also rans like Fax have been for most years.
Barrow go on about the potential fan base etc-yet there is no evidence to suggest many people from places like Workington, Morecambe, Lancaster etc would flood to Barrow to watch a SL team likely struggling to win games at first. London have a potential of Millions-yet are lucky to get 4000 to games! What does Barrow offer SL? As much as Fax and that to the RFL is sadly nothing as they want to expand the game to cities not little towns and a wasteland in northern Lancashire.

Wash your mouth out

We had our fair share of defeats this year and the fan base still increased by 1000+ from last year.

You say Des may throw a few wobblies next year if we lose a few games ? Unlike Chairmen from other clubs, he would likely (as he did this year) refuse to be 2nd best and put his money where his mouth is, work his off till the early hours and bring in reinforcements. He may be reviled by those of you looking up at us but I can bet that you wish he was your Chairman. Slate the guy as much as you want but he aint done to bad a job has he ? Some of his decisions were questionable BUT in the long run they were the correct ones and were decisions he felt benefited the Clubs goals. The guy is no mug and if any Chairman can get us into Soopa Doopa League, he can. He may fail but judging his tenure so far as Chairman, he will fight tooth and bloody nail to get it I tell thee.

Barrow alone has a catchment of 100,000. Far more than Cas for instance. If you go a bit further afield you're talking 250,000.

I just thank goodness our Chairman and BOD don't have you're defeatist attitude.

There are big announcements imminent from Barrow RL. Just wait and see, although I'm sure all the fans of clubs who see us as a real threat will, as usual, keep their heads well in the sand and dismiss us time and time again - just as they did when the 2009 season kicked-off.

your not losing another top player are you?

Do you not know how ironic that remark is ??????

you are then.

Hey I can assure you we DO NOT wish we had your Chairman only his MONEY.
I have never ever liked Chairmen that think they can run the club from top to bottom, meaning they interfere with team selection and who you sign etc...
What does Des know anyway he is a football man come on admit it, RL is not his sport.
He has done well for Barrow but something tells me his gambling ways will go wrong at some point as we all know that you lose out eventually when you gamble. He won't get 14 to 1 odds next season on Barrow will he???
I prefer a quiet achiever like our very own Chairman personally.

Achiever ? finishing 2nd ? If he had anything about him he would have stopped the rot like our Chairman did. Your team (which at the start of the season were flying and looking like a Champion team) would not have run out of steam and ended up loosing top spot & The Grand Final.

Des Johnston got it absolutely spot on this season and im sure he isn't ar*ed whether opposition fans like him or not. He has played a massive part in rebuilding Barrow RLFC and Im sure our Amateur & Youth teams will only benefit in the future. Rugby League was a dying sport in our area with open age & junior player numbers in decline. Im sure numbers will increase and local kids will want to play for their hometown club instead of buggering of to a SL club to be used and spat out.

I fail to understand this crack about his gambling causing problems. If he chooses to have a bet that his own team will win the Championship then what is the problem ? The guy was laughed off stage at the start of the season when he told an audience Barrow would win the Championship this year......Who's laughing now eh ?

I'm thinking Celtic here, sure the players will come, by hook or by crook

Massive difference with Celtics ...

a) They had a core support of about 1,000 before SL
b) They stuck with the majority of their NL1 squad when a clearout was needed
c) No history of club RL in that area

I think a comparison with Catalans is more accurate

a) Traditional RL area
b) Good core support in the 'lower' leagues
c) Area has produced several SL players