The Betfred Championship season ends at the weekend with the fight to avoid the drop going down to the wire.
Relegation still haunts Whitehaven, Keighley and Swinton while it would be a major surprise if Barrow are dragged into it.
It must be huge odds against Barrow losing and the three teams immediately below them all winning their tough weekend fixtures to relegate the Raiders.
Even so Barrow captain 35-year-old Jarrad Stack is keen to see his side put in a big final effort to go out on a winning note.
He told the club website: “Last week was a real disappointment against Newcastle – they had nothing to lose and we are doing it tough with injuries at the moment.
“It’s not an excuse, we still should have got the win. It was upsetting not getting that victory and being able to repay the travelling fans with a good performance.
“However, the win against Swinton a couple of weeks ago has put us in a good position, and the mood in the camp is still really good.
“We are where we are in the table, and we’re still fighting as a team. The lads who have stepped up in recent weeks have really helped us out, and the Championship is tougher than ever this year.
“Hopefully we can go out there at home on the final day and finish things off with a win.”
However much the odds are in Barrow’s favour, Stack isn’t allowing himself or his team-mates to look at the sides around them when everything is still within the Raiders’ control.
He went on: “We’re going to go into this week at training worrying about ourselves, no-one else.
“If we go in with the mindset that things could go our way on Saturday, and Whitehaven manage to pull out a performance and beat Toulouse, the whole week for us would end up being wasted preparation.
“I do want to see Whitehaven stay up because it’s good for rugby in Cumbria, but if they don’t do their job, it will be a big sigh of relief ahead of the game against York.”
Sunday’s clash with the Knights will have consequences at both ends of the table, after a late, winning drop-goal against Batley Bulldogs on Monday night helped York keep their play-off hopes alive heading into the final round.
Stack knows what is at stake, but believes the squad need no added incentive to ensure they finish the season strongly.
He says: “There’s plenty to play for at both ends of the table. They want the final play-off spot and know that we’ll throw everything at them to try and win the game.
“We both need the points, but the least these Barrow fans deserve is for us to sign off with a good performance and a win.”
Sunday’s game is part of a double-header which will also see Barrow Raiders Ladies host Bradford Bulls Women in the Betfred Women’s Super League play-off semi-finals at noon.
The Barrow club are encouraging supporters to come along and show their support for the ladies, with entry reduced to £5 before noon.
