A PROUD and enjoyable day at my first grandchild’s christening saved me a trip up the coast to witness what Raiders supporters are saying was ‘the worst performance for a long time’.

I couldn’t believe the final score of 32-6 as Barrow were beaten by a well-drilled Whitehaven team led by the youngest coach in the game, Carl Forster, in front of Haven’s biggest crowd of the season of 1,562.

I have seen Haven a few times this season, and although pretty solid and workmanlike, I was surprised they were able to score six tries against us, even without try-scoring machine Craig Calvert.

So what went wrong? Head coach Paul Crarey said: “I just thought we were poor across the board and probably out-enthused.”

We have to learn pretty quickly from defeat, because the RFL fixtures secretary thought it would be a good laugh to go and play Haven again at the Recreation Ground next week in the first game of the Super Eights.

After seven matches, the team in first position (probably Toronto) will be automatically promoted to the Championship. The second-placed team will enter a four-club play-off with a home fixture against the team in fifth, while third plays fourth.

The winners of those two matches will contest a play-off final for the second promotion place.

Having to travel to Canada again is a major disadvantage, but at least playing Toronto away in the sixth game is better than playing them early. The impact will be minimised, with only Keighley to play at home the following Sunday.

The next seven games are vital to the future success of the club, and we must go all-out to finish second to maintain that home advantage in the play-offs.

It won’t be easy, and Barrow will have to perform in every game, although I would perhaps utilise the ‘squad’ to travel to Toronto, to keep as many fresh for the key games thereafter.

Doncaster, York, Workington and Keighley at home should be exciting affairs, and Newcastle away will be much tougher than our last visit, as they have improved significantly since their coach left.

Whitehaven also have to travel to Canada (a week before us), and they also have tricky games at neighbours Workington and Doncaster, so there is a lot resting on next week’s encounter.

I was surprised that ex-Haven player and Swinton coach John Duffy was offered the Featherstone Rovers job after Jon Sharp’s departure.

John has only being coaching for three seasons, but getting Swinton promoted obviously caught the eye. I also didn’t know John, at the age of 16 in Warrington colours, was the youngest player to grace Super League.

Swinton, who are in serious financial difficulty, immediately made experienced former player Stuart Littler the new head coach to try to keep them in the Championship.

Bradford Bulls remain bottom of the Championship after their points deduction at the start of the season, and it is highly likely they will be playing in League One next season.

Just like the Toulouse and Toronto scenario, that will mean there is only one promotion place up for grabs, because Bradford won’t spend more than one season there.

Changes are being discussed at the RFL, so perhaps this is the right time to increase the Championship numbers and reconfigure League One.

No matter the outcome of those discussions, we must take the welcome break this weekend to reflect on past performances and get every squad member up for the battles ahead.

Promotion is the priority.