Prop Anton Iaria says Barrow should embrace the raised expectation levels sparked by their strong return to the Championship.
Last season’s League One winners have made many sit up and take notice by collecting 19 points from their first 15 second-tier matches.
That has put the Raiders, who were relegated in 2019, in the top-six play-off zone as they prepare to host fifth-placed Halifax in front of the Premier Sports cameras on Monday, June 27.
And Italy international Iaria, a close-season signing from Penrith Panthers, where he played for the second team in the News South Wales Cup, believes Barrow can stay there.
“At the start of the season, the first priority was to make sure we kept our place in the division,” explained the 26-year-old Australian, who qualifies for the World Cup-bound Azzurri through his paternal grandparents.
“But we had a red-hot start (six successive wins in league and Challenge Cup), and while there have been a few dips, we’ve bounced back.
“I think that’s testament to the squad (chairman) Steve Neale and (coach) Paul Crarey have put together, because we have some good, experienced players, such as Jarrod Sammut, Hakim Miloudi and Jarrad Stack, and some talented local boys.
“We like to play an expansive style of rugby, which I think the fans enjoy, and with the likes of Tee Ritson around (the winger has scored twelve league tries so far this season), we have shown we can score points.
“We’ve probably put a bit of pressure on ourselves because people are talking about the play-offs now, but that’s fine, because we have a clever coach in Cresta (Crarey) and we want to get there.
“There’s a lot of work still to be done, but we should be backing ourselves to carry on the way we’re going.”
Much-travelled former NRL and Super League halfback Sammut is back in town after playing for Malta in their 30-14 defeat by World Cup finalists Lebanon in Sydney on Wednesday.
Barrow, who have signed Bradford’s experienced Wales international forward Ben Evans on a two-year deal to start next season, are chasing a third straight win and fifth in six outings while Simon Grix’s Halifax have won nine of their last ten games, the sole defeat coming against a powerful Leigh side.
They responded to that by winning 24-12 at Whitehaven and second row Will Calcott said: “It was important, because we knew we had to get straight back on track. We needed to be on our mettle, and we were.
“Barrow are going well this season, and it’s a big game which we are all really looking forward to.”
Barrow 21-man squad: Luke Cresswell, Theerapol Ritson, Hakim Miloudi, Shane Toal, Jarrod Sammut, Ryan Johnston, Nathan Mossop, Carl Forster, Jarrad Stack, Jake Carter, Dan Toal, Tom Hopkins, Charlie Emslie, Ellis Gillam, Josh Wood, Sam Brooks, Anton Iaria, Ryan Shaw, Brett Carter, Matthew Costello, Mathieu Cozza.
Halifax 21-man squad: James Woodburn-Hall, Lachlan Walmsley, Greg Worthington, Joe Arundel, James Saltonstall, Joe Keyes, Adam Tangata, Brandon Moore, Dan Murray, Ben Kavanagh, Jacob Fairbank, Kyle Wood, Will Calcott, Ed Barber, Matty Gee, Zack McComb, Titus Gwaze, Ben Tibbs, Louis Jouffret, Joe Martin, Kevin Larroyer.
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