WHAT a weekend of surprises it was in the first games of the League One Super Eights.

The unbeaten Toronto Wolfpack superstars came a cropper at York City Knights 26-16 in front of 2,600 spectators; Workington Town won at Newcastle Thunder 30-14; Doncaster were beaten at home by Keighley Cougars 32-24; and we went to the Recreation Ground and comprehensively won 15-2 against Whitehaven, with a superb performance which puts us back in the driving seat in second place.

You never know, if Workington can beat Toronto tomorrow at Derwent Park, and we get a result in Canada, we could get automatic promotion.

Barrow gained revenge for their defeat two weeks ago with a deserved victory over their Cumbrian rivals. They dominated possession and territory for long periods, and only some superb defending by Whitehaven kept them in the game.

After a blank first half, Haven did get in front with a penalty from Paul Crook, but it was Barrow who finished the game much the stronger scoring the only two tries of the game.

To nil them in the try department was the icing on the cake, and I always knew that if we raised our game we would win – and that was in spite of the fact that we still conceded too many penalties (11).

I could not believe that Whitehaven-born Super League referee Gareth Hewer was the match official though – who came up with that one?

It didn’t matter in the end, because Gareth had a great game and let the game flow, which suited Barrow’s style. But what if the result went the other way with a controversial decision?

Maintaining second place is absolutely crucial, because it means we retain home advantage in the semi-finals versus the fifth-placed side and then, if we win that one, we play at home in the promotion final, probably against Haven or York.

However, let’s not get too carried away as there are still six very difficult matches to play, the first of which is tomorrow against Doncaster, who we drew with only a few weeks ago 24-24.

They will come to Craven Park smarting from last week’s defeat, with 14 second-half points scored in vain as the Cougars held on for victory.

Games against Doncaster are always close, and I’m sure tomorrow will be no exception. We need total discipline and we need to play expansive as going down the middle against a pack with experienced players such as Kyle Kesik, Russell Spiers, Brad England, Peter Green, Iafeta Paleaaesina, and ex-Raider Jamie Thackray will not be a smart tactic.

This is going to be a very competitive match and the club needs your support more than ever. They have switched games to a Sunday afternoon in order to attract a much better attendance, so anything under 1,000 would be a major disappointment.

It’s not sunbathing weather at the moment, but if you want to experience some heat, get down to Craven Park tomorrow and cheer the lads to victory.