A FAMILIAR face was on the pitch at Wharfedale's training this week.

Ian Peel, who left Wharfedale's front row to join Premier League giants Newcastle, was putting forwards through their paces to try to iron out the lineout problems which hindered them against Henley in their last match.

"It was a different voice, new ideas and a few variations from a top side," said Wharfedale coach Peter Hartley, who welcomed Peel to the club as his coach at under-eight level.

While Hartley himself has conceded that chances of survival are 50-50 at best, he points out that Wharfedale have no fitness worries and have begun to find that bit of form and sparkle which has been conspicuously absent so far this season.

And tomorrow's opponents, Nottingham, are a Jekyll and Hyde team. They beat title chasing Henley away but the lost to relegation favourites Kendal at home the next week.

Wharfedale have already beaten them at the Avenue with a degree of comfort and Hartley hopes that experience can be carried south to Nottingham tomorrow.

"They rely heavily on their forwards and score tries for fun from rolling mauls," he said. "We know we've got to stop that, we've got to win our lineout ball this week and then get our backs running. It's easy to say it and now we've got to do it."

A win is just one notch down from imperative tomorrow as Wharfedale have to overhaul Launceston and stay a point in front of them in the remaining four games.

Hartley says he does not even know who Launceston are playing tomorrow and won't seek to find out until the results come up on Ceefax. But there will be many Wharfedale fans who have studied the remaining fixture list with unease. While Launceston at home to fourth-placed Esher tomorrow will not be too upsetting, the Cornwall team's next two fixtures against the bottom two clubs, Fylde and Kendal will give them nightmares.

Wharfedale: Hodgson, Johnson, Baggett, Malherbe, Davies; Pears Cotterill; Peel, Ogden, Dickenson, Capstick, Lister, Evans, Wade, Verity.