IT IS never an easy game in the Capital and so it turned out once again with the unorthodox London Skolars making Barrow fight all the way for the ugly win on their artificial 4G pitch in front of 373 spectators.

There was not much between the two sides, but Barrow did well to win 20-10 and with only three games left in phase one, we look good for a second or third place position which means four home and three away games in the Super Eights.

We have got two winnable games coming up with Gloucestershire All Golds at home tonight and Oxford next Saturday at home, and then it’s the second-place decider away to in-form Whitehaven.

Apparently whether we finish 2nd or 3rd we will still have to travel to Toronto once again, so I hope all the visa paperwork is well in hand so as we can put out our strongest team this time.

At least our promotion contenders Whitehaven will have to go to Canada as well, so that’s a bonus, and let’s hope the fixtures are kind in that we play Haven the week after their trip to Toronto.

However Doncaster, York, Hunslet and Keighley are no mugs and cannot be ruled out of the promotion race as it’s looking like the top eight will be a lot more competitive than last year, which means that Barrow have to improve and step up a gear if we want to be playing in the play-off final.

I watched Doncaster almost snatch a last-minute victory last week at the Recreation Ground, scoring three tries in eight minutes, and I also watched the Keighley versus York highlights and was very impressed with York, who won at Cougar Park.

They seem to be a totally different proposition from the team we beat in the first game 28-0.

Raiders chairman Mike Sunderland has been commenting on the league structures and I agree that there needs to be a significant change in the way the Championship and league One are set up.

In my opinion, the Championship needs to be expanded into 16 teams playing each other home and away with a total of 30 games.

Forget the League cup competitions, but introduce a simpler play- off system to see who gets promoted and relegated. At least that way teams are guaranteed 15 home games and can plan effectively when it comes to selling all forms of sponsorship packages.

League One would then have 12 teams (primarily the new southern-based teams) who could play each other home and away also with a total of 22 games, with one promotion place at stake.

We need to be playing Bradford Bulls, Featherstone, Halifax, Hull Kingstone Rovers and London Broncos, and Barrow deserve to be in the 16-team championship based on league position and average attendance.

This change in structure is the only way to attract new support, which is crucial to the club's survival.

Tonight, the improving Gloucestershire All Golds come to Craven Park on the back of their sixth win of the season against Oxford last week 38-10.

Head coach Lee Greenwood has certainly improved the team and early in the season I watched them beat Workington at Derwent Park. However, only three weeks ago they were comprehensively beaten by Haven 62-6 and we must do the same!

Congratulations go to centre Phil Cowburn, who will be the first All Golds player to reach 100 appearances tonight.

Phil has struck up a good partnership with his wingman Mo Agoro, who is the leading try scorer in the division so Barrow obviously need to quell that threat.

See you tonight!