Barrow Raiders take a break from Betfred Championship rugby on Sunday but face a tough test in the semi-final of the 1895 Cup.
League leaders Featherstone Rovers visit the Matt Johnson Prestige Stadium with both sides bidding for a place in the final to be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 28.
Ut’s come at a time when Barrow have suffered three consecutive defeats in the Championship and are now down to sixth in the table after an eye-catching start when they were as high as second.
The only remaining unbeaten side in the Betfred Championship this season, Brian McDermott’s side were clear-cut 58-6 winners when the sides met in the Betfred Championship on Good Friday.
However, ever-present Ellis Gillam is looking forward to the return game and believes there are plenty of incentives for the Raiders to turn the tables.
He told the club’s website: “We don’t have to worry about teams jumping above us in the table, points difference or anything like that. It’s all about those 80 minutes.
“Win or lose, as long as we give it our all, we can’t have any complaints.
“We’re 80 minutes from a cup final, so we need to go out there with a positive attitude and give 100 per cent. It’s a tough task in front of us, but it’s something that the whole town will buy into.
“Our fans will get down to the stadium on Sunday and be just as excited as us. Regardless of who we’re playing and what’s in front of us, we’re within 80 minutes of a chance of playing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“It’s a free hit to go and play some nice rugby and have belief in ourselves, like we did at the start of the season.”
Looking back at Monday’s televised 30-18 home defeat to York, Gillam said: “There was a sense of disappointment more than anything else. There was a lot of effort from the lads in lots of good areas, but those silly 1% decisions let us down.
“Their defence was outstanding; they kept up out for about six sets on their line, and we just need to just be more clinical in and around their 20.
“Those small fixes will help us with the bigger picture, so we just need to get them right. We more than belong at this level, and I think we’ve surprised a lot of teams.
“I know we’re not in a good run of form at the moment, but the performances are showing that we are able to hold our own, and that’s shown by us being in the play-off places at the moment.”
