What has happened at Baildon this season is surely one of the mysteries of Yorkshire rugby union.

A side that was good enough to finish third, and just miss out on promotion, last season in Thwaites Yorkshire Division Three and win the Yorkshire Silver Trophy are currently propping up the table without a point after 11 games.

You have to feel for new coach Kenny Pollard, who admitted yesterday: "We get 80 minutes-worth of commitment from the players on Saturday, but we don't always get the same commitment to training.

"The results are not a reflection of our ability. We keep saying that someone is going to get a right good hiding one day, but we are still waiting.

"It would be nice to be able to pick from a full-strength squad one day, but the god of injuries hasn't smiled on us, and we have had many unavailabilities too.

"We are not only a very friendly club at Jenny Lane, we are a very proud club, and we have plenty of pride to play for."

Versatile forward Phil Wilson has still not recovered from ankle ligament trouble, but at least Pollard has scrum half James Dawson and prop Simon Gillson in a squad of 18 for tomorrow's home game against Hessle.

Both were members of the side that beat Baildon in last season's final, but Dawson then left to join Halifax and Gillson moved to the Midlands.

Bradford and Bingley, at Northern in North One, are without unavailable lock Andy Murphy, so Baz Clarke comes in.

Otley, at home to Lydney in Jewson National League One, have Ryan Duckett returning at full back, Peter Wright dropping to the bench. Props are David Hall and Ron Kelly.

Wharfedale, at Reading, also favour a prop rotation system, Neil Dickinson dropping to the bench this week.

Keighley recall Rick Emmott at centre for their North East Division One clash at York as Steve Mortimer has gone to Kenya on work experience.

Laurence Marklew is preferred to James Kubran at scrum half, and John Duffy (prop) and Tim Midgley (second row) return to the pack, Tyrone Adam moving from the front row to flanker.

Promotion-chasing Cleckheaton give a debut at prop to former Rotherham player Sam Coy in North East Two at home to bottom-of-the-table Durham City.

Flanker Richard Oldroyd is given his first chance in the back row for a couple of seasons.

Yorkshire Division One Bradford Salem also face a basement club - Thornensians away. Flu victim Damien Cope returns to the bench in place of Dave Atter. Salem centre Neil Klenk says: "We are not going to be complacent because Thorne are a different proposition at home to away."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.