Barrow in it for long haul as Leeds look to the future

THE positive vibes continued to emanate from resurgent Leeds Carnegie yesterday when they tied down another of their star performers to a lengthy contract.

Following hot on the heels of Hendre Fourie's decision to extend his stay at Headingley Carnegie and a second straight Premiership win, Scott Barrow, the inside centre, yesterday penned a two-year extension to his current deal that keeps him at the Yorkshire club until 2012.

The former Glasgow Warrior has proven to be one of Leeds's most consistent players in the Premiership, despite this being his first season at English rugby's elite level.

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His decision further underlines the growing belief among the Leeds squad that survival in the top flight this season is well within their grasp with a victory on Sunday against Saracens potentially lifting them off the foot of the table.

The only negative is Calum Clark's impending departure to Northampton at the end of the season, but even that has not detracted from the spirit in the camp as Barrow and Leeds build towards an extended stay in the Premiership.

"We have shown our capabilities over the last few games," said Barrow, who arrived at Headingley after the club's last relegation nearly two years ago.

"Going to Wasps and winning there was fantastic but to do the double over them – not many teams can say they've done that.

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"We have got it within ourselves to finish eighth or ninth if everyone continues to play to their full potential and everyone stays fit. Our work-rate has been outstanding and that has to continue."

Getting a first home league win last Sunday, at the eighth time of asking, has only strengthened the belief among the players.

St Helens-born Barrow, 29, said: "We had spoken about not winning at home and it is something that plays on the back of your mind.

"Apart from a couple of games, we have always made Headingley a tough place to come, we just never had the ability or the composure to turn it into a win.

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"We have now learned to do that and have learned to cope with the pressure of playing at home.

"Based on form we're probably in better shape than Saracens since the turn of the year, but they're still third and we're still bottom, and at the end of the day we're scrapping for our lives to stay in this division and they want to get into the play-offs."

Leeds picked up a bonus point in their defeat at Vicarage Road in October, and although that result began the present run of points picked up in nine of their last 10 games, Barrow insists there is no bad blood over the disallowed try that costs Leeds victory.

"That's water under the bridge," he said, referring to referee David Rose's controversial decision to award Saracens a restart after it appeared Fourie had touched down Richard Welding's kick through.

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"We've got a job to do on Sunday which has nothing at all to do with what happened down there. There's no vendetta or anything against them. We can't afford to have because we're still bottom of the league, and for all our good form, that's still our predicament."

Barrow, who is hoping the calf injury that forced him to miss the Wasps win will have healed in time for the visit of Saracens, had offers from a host of other clubs for next season, including some from across the channel, but pledged his future to Leeds.

"There's no reason why I shouldn't stay here," said Barrow, who was wanted by French side Grenoble. "We've progressed a lot since the end of last season and since I arrived at the club.

"There were bits and bobs interested in me but once Andy Key and Neil Back spoke to me and said they'd like me to stay it was an easy decision to make.

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"Obviously the money being spent by clubs in France and with the salary cap being quite high, makes a move over there an attractive proposition.

"But it is a bit of a false position at the minute because the exodus of players over the channel will stop when the French league bring their player quota rules in.

"It's a short-term fashion at the moment."