‘WE weren’t on it’ that was the damning verdict of Barrow Raiders head coach Paul Crarey after his side suffered at the hands of York Knights.

It was an away-day to forget for Raiders as they went down 54-12 against the Yorkshire side.

Speaking to Raiders official YouTube channel, Crarey said: “We were a long way off today and I’ll take it, that it’s on me, I put the team out.

“We missed Josh Woods. He got hurt early on, and then Max Clarke pulled his groin again and we had to reshuffle there, so it was a great day for us whatsoever.

“I’m bitterly disappointed and feel sorry for the fans. I was speaking to them before the game saying that we had trained really well, and I fancied our chances and it just wasn’t to be, but I’m not putting a shirt one they are (the players).”

The Raiders head coach felt his side gave themselves too much do after some unenforced errors particularly in the opening 40 minutes.

He added: “In the first half I think it was 18 sets to eight. They had a mountain of possession, and we didn’t defend it.

“We had two good ball sets in that first half and scored off one of them.

“But I think every time they got up our end, they beat us on a play. They crashed over at dummy half (for one of the tries) a real soft try, and we just weren’t on it.

“Credit to them they played off the front foot and kicked the ball well.

“We didn’t do any of that. Our discipline was pretty poor with the ball, not playing it correctly.

“Then in the second half we had five sets and there was an unforced error. It was not playing the ball or playing the ball incorrectly, all of those little things, and we didn’t complete five sets on the bounce and gifted them possession.

“And they were flying weren’t they. They are a good side.

“They have improved massively in terms of playing on the front foot and moving you around.

“And when you are off and your middles aren’t pressing, because they have defended that much.

“We changed up really early with our middles to try to get the game back and have some press to help our edges, but we didn’t.

“Then our edges come flying in trying to fix things up leaving space and making the decision for the York players.

“I was bitterly disappointed at half-time. We played better in the second half, but again an interception got us.

“An incorrect play of the ball 20 metres out, probably on the first set, they scored off that.

“It was just the nature of the day really. Everything we did we didn’t get right.

“We started to cut corners and when you do that you are in big trouble.

“In this division if you are off in any way shape or form a team like this (York) can put big numbers in.

“And they haven’t just done it to us, they’ve done it to some other sides in this division.”