Cleckheaton are currently top of five SSE North One East tables.

They have the leading try-scorer (Richard Piper with 14), the top kicker and points scorer (Ross Hayden with 87 points and 132) and are equal first in team tries (26 with West Hartlepool).

Cleckheaton also head the most important column – league points with 50 – and that is where they intend to stay.

The club’s fixture secretary Alan Bentley said: “They have just had a players’ meeting and have broken the season into segments of three games.

“We laid a bogey last Saturday in defeating Northern but we have another tough match on Saturday in Morpeth.

“It is a long trip and we are without Michael Piper and Paul Turner, who are both going to the Rugby League World Cup final.

“Johnno Marshall, who has played for us there before, is coming in at No 10, and Chris Piper replaces Turner, with Alex Dawson on the bench as cover for the front row and second row. Fellow 19-year-old Jack Seddon is also on the bench.”

Bradford & Bingley, who dropped back into an SSE National League Three North relegation place after their home defeat by Billingham, are without prop Eddie Peglau (fractured wrist) and utility back Ben Greaves (brother’s wedding).

But they do welcome back strong-running centre Brett Campbell, who played for them at the beginning of last season, for the difficult trip to third-placed Sale.

Cleckheaton (at Morpeth): R Hayden; C Blackburn, J Wilson, Matt Piper, M Woodhead; Johnno Marshall, J Bickerdike; C Piper, B Thrower, A Piper, G Turton, R Piercy, R Afoa Peterson, R Piper, O Akroyd. Replacements: A Fawson, J Seddon, James Marshall.