THE feel-good factor of promotion is finally coming to an end as we all look forward to the massive challenge awaiting in the Kingstone Press Championship.

Barrow's first game will be played on February 4 at London Broncos – only eight weeks away.

Paul Crarey, his coaching staff and players, deserve all the plaudits for escaping League One on a very strict budget and the supporters could see the effort and passion that went into every performance… apart from a couple.

We are in a good place compared to some clubs, but now we must move on and develop a strategy for Championship survival; which in simple terms means finishing above two other teams.

We can’t compete with the budgets of Leigh and Toronto, but don’t tell me we can’t compete with Swinton, Rochdale, Dewsbury, Batley and Sheffield.

Survival is the objective, and with the majority of the promotion squad re-signing, plus new signings Glenn Riley, Alec Susino and Ryan Duffy, we are looking okay.

I’m sure there are more irons in the fire as we all realise we need four or five experienced Championship-standard players to be competitive.

Our first two home games are against promotion favourites Toronto and Leigh, and having looked at their pre-season transfer activity it’s definitely going to be a baptism of fire.

Leigh have signed 21 new players, including League One top-scorer and player-of-the-year Craig Hall, from Toronto.

Rhys Evans, the Warrington centre; Greg Richards, the Urswick star from St Helens; Kevin Larroyer (Castleford Tigers); Nathan Mason (Huddersfield Giants); Larne Patrick (Castleford Tigers); Bodene Thompson (New Zealand Warriors); Paterika Vaivai (Gold Coast Titans); Kyle Lovett (West Tigers); Drew Hutchison (St George Illawarra Dragons); and Peter Mata’utia (Newcastle Knights) have all joined the Leigh Super League project as well.

Toronto have signed six Super League-standard players in Andy Ackers (London Broncos), Tom Armstrong (Widnes Vikings), Olsi Krasniqi (Salford Red Devils), Ashton Sims (Warrington Wolves), Dave Taylor (Canberra Raiders) and Joe Westerman (Warrington Wolves).

The standard of the Championship is improving every year and the fixtures secretary wants everyone to know as Leigh play Toronto on the opening day of the new season; what an advertisement for the Championship that is.

A motion was tabled in Parliament congratulating England on reaching a first World Cup Final in 22 years. The motion “notes that despite a narrow 6-0 defeat in the final by Australia, the squad have done themselves and their country proud.”

However ex-GB international and ex-Raiders coach Garry Schofield has called on the RFL not to extend Wayne Bennett’s contract as England head coach.

Despite taking England close to World Cup glory, Schofield said “Those saying that Bennett has done a good job need to give their heads a wobble.

“After Saturday’s World Cup final, I kept hearing how well the English lads had played and how they should be proud of themselves.

“Well, you’ll have to forgive me for disagreeing. I thought we blew the best chance we’ll ever have to finally break our Australian hoodoo. I’m not sure I’ll ever witness a bigger opportunity for us to land silverware.

“Mal Meninga’s men are very beatable, but we need a coach who is going to promote some ball movement if we are to achieve that. We can’t beat the Aussies playing like the Aussies.

“We will never have a better opportunity to win the World Cup, yet we blew it. With ball in hand, we absolutely bottled it.”

I have to agree, we should have won, and if our last-tackle option had been executed with more finesse, we would have.