BARROW RAIDERS coach Amanda Wilkinson stressed there’s still plenty to play for as the Women’s Super League splits for the second half of the season.
The bottom four sides – Barrow, Huddersfield Giants, Leigh Leopards and Featherstone Rovers – will all compete in the Shield with the aim of retaining their top-flight status.
Each side will face off against each other both home and away, with the last-placed club battling it out with the National Championship winners to secure a Super League spot for 2027.
But whilst some have criticised the Shield for not giving players enough to play for during the second half of the season, Wilkinson believes there’s still plenty at stake.
“I suppose sometimes we forget where we are,” she said. “We’re in the Women’s Super League.
“The split has made it a little bit like ‘what are you playing for?’, but you’re playing to remain in Super League, which is a massive thing, isn’t it?
“We’re going into the second half of the season and we really need to win every game. That’s a big task.
“When we come in, we need to make it count because we have to be at our best and we’ve got to go out and win every game.
“If the girls want it enough like I do – I want to be coaching in Super League and I believe the girls belong there – they’ve got everything to play for, absolutely everything.
“Let’s stay up and let’s get the wins, the points, and then we’re not going down. We want to stay in Super League.”
Barrow, in last place after the first half of the season, are still looking for their first win, despite running Leigh (20-18) and Featherstone (16-10) close.
“We’re not just going to go and get those wins,” Wilkinson stressed. “We know it’s going to be tough.
“It’s about taking every player to that level where they’re performing at their best because I believe that if we’re doing that, then I think we’ve definitely got a few wins in us.”