After a second defeat in the Super 8s, Whitehaven go on another recovery mission on Sunday.

They lost 30-22 at Doncaster, a defeat that player-coach Carl Forster put down to poor game management.

The first defeat in the season’s second phase came at home to Barrow, and they were able to put that right with a follow up win against Newcastle Thunder.

But Sunday’s visitors to the Recreation Ground, Keighley, will travel to west Cumbria in the best of heart after earning a draw against League One leaders and hot title favourites Toronto Wolfpack.

It took a last-minute penalty from Matty Beharrall to give them parity at 26-26 but, overall, they had deserved to take all the points which left them two points off a semi-final play-off place.

It was the most committed performance of Craig Lingard’s tenure as Keighley coach and he will be looking at more of the same at Whitehaven this weekend.

When they met at the Recreation Ground in the regular season an absorbing contest saw Whitehaven extend their winning run to 11 games with a hard-earned 28-22 victory against a physical Keighley side.

Haven had trailed at the break 12-6 but another committed effort from Forster and his men turned things round.

“We already know from that last meeting Keighley will be a tough nut to crack, but we will be preparing accordingly and spending a lot of time on our defence this week.

“The race for the top five is hotting up and it’s disappointing to have lost two out of our first four games in the Eights, which is why we will need to record a home win on Sunday,” said the coach.

Forster missed Sunday’s defeat at Doncaster because of a suspension but he will be ready to return to face the Cougars on Sunday.