Featherstone Rovers v Widnes Vikings: Boss Ryan Carr’s taking the week-by-week approach

Carr’s in-form side have climbed to third in the table, 10 points adrift of leaders Toronto Wolfpack, but only four behind second-placed Toulouse Olympique.

After a five-game winning run, Featherstone – who play host to Widnes Vikings tomorrow (3pm) – are on course to at least finish as the country’s highest-ranked semi-professional team.

But Carr insisted they are more concerned about playing well each week than what effect that might have on the league table. “We are not looking at the ladder,” Carr stated.

“We are very week to week at the moment. We are well aware it is a congested ladder and anything can happen.

“If we start looking at different positions ahead of us we will get caught up in things we can’t control. For us, we are just focused on Widnes now and playing well.”

Carr stressed: “We will get that one done, pick ourselves up and go again the week after.

“We are just throwing everything into each week at the moment. That is what has been working for us.”

Rovers have lost twice at Widnes this year, including a 22-16 result in the 1895 Cup last week.

Carr admitted playing the same team twice in three matches is “strange” and he added: “We know a bit about each other – you’ve done all the work before.

“They will have a few different bodies in and we will too. It won’t be an identical game, but it will be much the same, you would predict and we have got to start better.

“Both times we’ve played them they have started really well. When they get away from you they are very hard to get back because they are a professional outfit and they’ve got a lot of Super League-quality players in there.

“We need to start well, we are at home and we have got to put a better performance in than we did over there.”