LAST week’s victory at Whitehaven was, I think, a victory for grit and determination, as I don’t think it was our best performance from an attacking or a structural point of view.

The conditions may have had something to do with it because it was a drizzly, miserable type of day but I think Whitehaven had a lot to do with it also.

I thought they were very tough in defence and they are a big side who get numbers in and, in slowing down the game, they made it hard for us.

That’s all credit to them and also to us for overcoming that on the scoreboard and ultimately that’s the only place that matters.

It was a successful day for the Whitehaven club, with the Bulls fans turning out in big numbers and helping to raise some much-needed revenue for them.

We, as playing staff and coaches, were delighted too because it helps, when things are tough, and it was tough, for virtually the full 80 minutes, to have that fantastic support behind us.

The support for the Cumbrian club was much appreciated by all at Whitehaven.

We have played everyone in this division now and that’s given us a good benchmark of where we are, and we start the second half of the season at the top of the league ladder, which I am absolutely delighted about.

But obviously in the second half of the season things begin to clarify as we go along. I have no doubt some games may end up being easier than we perhaps initially thought they would but, equally, I am sure that some games will turn out to be much more difficult.

It’s a really exciting time and we are batting from strength and that’s all we could have asked for.

It’s Doncaster this week and they are a good team. We knew we had to be on the metal when we went over there, and I thought it was one of our better performances.

We played really well, were very clinical and we focused on the task in hand to come away with a really good win.

We know we will have to replicate that in order for us to be successful, and the fact they got beaten at Workington will only add fuel to their fire, as they look to rectify any perceived wrongs from that performance.

We know they are a very good rugby league team and any side that has the back up of the Hull FC set up, which they have with Richard Horne as their coach and some dual registered players, will make it difficult for us.