Barrow Raiders captain Jarrad Stack knows the pressure is on his side as they prepare to face bitter Cumbrian rivals Whitehaven on Sunday.

As well as local bragging rights, the Raiders can give their survival hopes a major boost with victory, putting a three-point cushion between themselves and Haven with four points still to play for.

Defeat at the Northern Competitions Stadium would see the visitors leapfrog Paul Crarey’s side in the table, with the Raiders still to face Wakefield Trinity and Widnes Vikings in their final two matches.

Stack, 36, has played in many derby games during his career and knows how vital it is that the Raiders take the two points this weekend.

SHOP NOW: Raiders merchandise

“I always say before local derbies that they’re the only games I get nervous for, and this week will probably be even worse,” Stack said.

“It’s a massive week for the club, especially with Swinton getting an unexpected win against Featherstone last Sunday.

“For personal reasons, we need to get the job done because I have to go to work where there are a lot of Whitehaven fans! There will be two massive points up for grabs, in front of probably the biggest crowd of the season.”

Barrow gave a good account of themselves against one of the top sides in the Betfred Championship last weekend, a brave second half fightback not enough to beat full-time opposition in Toulouse Olympique.

Whilst performances are providing more positives than negatives towards the tail end of the season, the main goal is to pick up competition points, which Stack believes his side can do with a few minor tweaks.

BUY NOW: 2025 season tickets

The second-rower added: “From a team point of view, we need to stop having to chase teams down. We’ve let too many teams go ahead and we’ve had to play catch-up, so it’s all about fixing a few bits up and making ourselves hard to beat.

“We know Whitehaven are a very determined team and have some great players across the pitch, with some passionate fans backing them.

“As a team, we don’t even want to think about the consequences of losing this weekend. For us, it’s not an option. I’ve played in plenty of big games against Whitehaven and I’m happy to have come out on top most times.

“All week, we will be putting in the work so we can get the result on the field.”

Join the Raid in 2024 – all home match tickets are on sale now!