Cougars player-coach Paul March insists his side are looking up and not down as they bid to continue their recent improved form at bottom club Doncaster on Sunday.

March’s men lie above the relegation zone on points difference only but are also just two points behind the final play-off spot and have a game in hand on eighth-placed York.

Significantly, they have won three of their last four Kingstone Press Championship outings and collected a valuable losing bonus point in last weekend’s home defeat to reigning champions Sheffield.

The next two matches – away to Doncaster and then at out-of-sorts Dews-bury seven days later – provide Cougars with the opportunity to ease their relegation fears and mount a push for the play-offs.

March said: “We’ve got every intention of making the play-offs, so we’ve got to beat the teams around us.

“Doncaster and Dewsbury are teams who are close to us in the table.

“We played Doncaster in pre-season, so we know what they’re about, and it will be nice to go to the Keepmoat Stadium and play on a big pitch.

“It’s a nice wide field and we like to play expansive stuff. They showed us a thing or two at their place in pre-season so we’ll be looking for revenge. Hopefully we can go there and put on a show.”

Despite their early-season struggles, March is wary of Doncaster and their key playmaker Paul Cooke, who once lit up Super League for both Hull FC and Hull KR.

The Cougars boss is seeking an improved performance from last weekend’s defeat to the Eagles, although he took positives from aspects of their display.

March added: “Paul Cooke is a big dangerman and has got a lot of experience, but we can’t just concentrate on him this weekend.

“For me personally, we need to be concentrating on ourselves because there are certain things in our game that we’re coming up with week in and week out.

“It’s not good enough at this stage of the season. We need to work on our performances and if we do that we’ve got the confidence to continue the run.

“As the Sheffield game went on we felt a deserved a bit more out of it than a losing bonus point with the amount of effort we put in.

“But it was a point gained against a big Championship club, so hopefully we can take that into the next couple of games now.”

Meanwhile, March has said Jamaine Wray’s recent departure from the club came after he chose not to attend training following his recovery from injury.

The Jamaica international hooker has joined Hunslet Warriors and March explained: “Jamaine was always looking to get back in the side after his injury and I don’t think he found an easy pathway.

“He took it upon himself to not come training, so it was his own decision.

“He wanted to leave and obviously he’s signed for Hunslet Warriors now.”

March will be without half-back Scott Leatherbarrow (shoulder) and winger Richie Barnett (broken ankle) this weekend due to injury but Cougars have no other major concerns.

Cougars’ Under-20s side lost 68-12 at Salford last weekend, with tries from Tom Courtney and Chris Watson both converted by Ben Stead.