IN rugby league as in life, it is always important to maintain a sense of perspective.

So even though last week saw Barrow Raiders concede 56 points away to York City Knights and were unable to muster any in reply, the bigger picture is the Raiders are still just one point behind where they were at this stage last year in the Betfred Championship.

Of course, the fact those three points were attained via a draw with Toronto Wolfpack and a win over another full-time side in Leigh Centurions perhaps makes that seem a lot better.

But three games in is no time to be writing off the whole season, especially on the back of one poor result.

Paul Crarey and his players were as devasted as anyone else after last Sunday’s match at Bootham Crescent and while they have been working on areas to improve in, the Raiders head coach has kept his sense of perspective.

“It’s early days and we’re finding our feet,” said Crarey. “What you’ve got to think about is Toulouse have only won one game, Batley have only won one game, Swinton and Rochdale haven’t won again, and Sheffield have come out of the blocks but they’ve not got dual-registration and if they get injuries then they’re the same as us.

“We’ve just got to settle quickly, kick the ball better, chase and it’s the one-percent things which will make us a better team.

“We haven’t got to panic as a group and we’re always going to be a part-time team around that bottom end like everyone else, so it’s how you handle that and you’ve got to be in every single game from minute one.

“We did that up to last week where we let ourselves down badly as a group, but we all know that.”

Crarey will be up against a familiar face tomorrow in opposite number Lee Greenwood, who was formerly head coach of the now-defunct Gloucestershire All Golds in League One.

He is wary of the danger posed around the rucks by hooker Sam Day and strike-runners Rob Worrincy and Adam Ryder, not to mention the half-back duo of ex-Sheffield Eagles player Simon Brown and former Super League star Paul Sykes.

“I know Lee and I’ve known him right through his League One days,” said Crarey. “His stuff is very much around the ruck, and watching videos of his team he’s got them that way.

“They can pick up players very easily around that way and they’re a big set who monstered Swinton last week. They’ve got the calibre in the halves to get them around, and the size in the pack and speed in the outside backs.

“It was no surprise they put nearly 40 points on Swinton last week, but they conceded a few tries themselves so that’s part of their game they need picking up and part of ours.”

Controlling the ruck is an area the Raiders have focussed on in training this week and Crarey has vowed a back-to-basic approach as they seek to return to winning ways.

“There were parts where we got back into the game and let it go again, so we talked about that as a group and starting games better, and not being complacent and trying to win games from minute one rather than seeing what other teams are going to do,” said Crarey. “We need a mountain of possession, run hard, tackle hard and go back to basics.”