Whitehaven have an immediate opportunity to put the Barrow defeat behind them when they stage another home game in the Eights on Sunday.

Player-coach Carl Forster is looking positively towards the weekend’s clash with Newcastle Thunder at the Recreation Ground.

“We wipe the slate clean, start with a fresh week on Wednesday and get down to preparing for Newcastle. I’m pleased we have an immediate chance to put things right with another home game," Forster said.

“It’s been a fair time since we last lost a game and it hurts but going through the Eights unbeaten would have been a pretty major ask.

“As we’ve been saying from day one, there are going to be no easy games at this stage of the season and we just have to make sure our attitude is right and we want it more than the opposition."

On the positive side, he saw valuable minutes out on the pitch for both Jordan Hand and Karl Olstrom.

Hand was playing his first game for two months, while Olstrom’s Whitehaven career has been stop-start so far.

“I was pleased with what I saw from them both. Jordan carried the ball really well and we all know Karl is class. There was bound to be some rustiness but the game will have done them both good,” said Forster.

Newcastle will also be coming into the game on the back of a defeat. They lost by 30-14 at home to Workington Town on Sunday.

Jason Payne is still interim coach after turning round the club’s fortunes and securing an Eights place for the first time.

A decision is still to be made in the north east on a permanent appointment but apparently Payne is happy to wait and see whether he will be handed the role on a long-term basis.

He has been philosophical, declaring: “We’ve not discussed anything about my position in any real detail; we’re just looking at the key squad members that will be here no matter what.

“We said we’d look at it come the end of the season. I’m confident I’ll still be here next season in some capacity but what that is we’re not sure yet.”