Coach Paul Crarey will need all his juggling skills as Barrow Raiders prepare for what is sure to be their toughest week of the season.

Tomorrow’s trip to Featherstone is the first of three games in seven days, a tough schedule that will stretch the club’s already-thin squad to its limits.

Sandwiched between Championship games against high-flying Rovers and the home game against second-placed Toulouse Olympique is a quarter-final date in the 1895 Cup with Leigh.

New signings Ben White and Liam Paisley are welcome additions to the squad, but the Raiders still have an injury list that includes several regulars, including long-term absentees Declan Hulme and Shane Toal.

Tom Loxam and Luke Cresswell return from injury to come into contention as Barrow aim to build on the impressive 21-8 win over Halifax last week.

But the Featherstone game is a reminder that things don’t get any easier for Crarey and his men, as the Yorkshire side have one eye on a bid to land the one promotion spot and a place in Super League.

“They are a formidable side with top quality dual registration payers like Ashton Golding and Alex Sutcliffe from Leeds and Tom Holmes on loan from Huddersfield Giants. They always have four or five they can call on,” said Crarey. “It took them some time go get going but they are now difficult to beat. We gave them a good run when they came here when we fought back before going down 26-12.”

The man who did the damage that day was Dane Chisholm but one player who has been catching the eye of several Super League clubs is his fellow Aussie, hooker Cameron King who has played with three NRL sides before signing up with Featherstone.

Crarey is well aware of the Rovers strengths but he hopes to build on the win over Halifax with the message: “Our last three home performances have shown that we can go there and compete if we believe in ourselves.”