Having won one crucial clash last Saturday, Bradford & Bingley have another this weekend.
tomorrow.
The Bees, who were second from bottom in SSE National League Three North, won 34-5 at bottom club Penrith last weekend.
That five-point victory helped the Wagon Laners climb above Firwood Waterloo into third from bottom.
But the Bees still need to climb another place, and on Saturday they host Percy Park, who are next up from them in the standings but eight points ahead.
“We know a five-point win won’t lift us in the table but it will bring Percy Park back into the relegation mix,” said the Bees’ first-team manager Benji Pickin.
“We were superb in the pack, so I can’t see many changes there, although Martyn Mitchell is back after a shoulder injury and Sam Hesketh and Dave Barden are back from skiing, while the newly-married Phil Greaves has made himself available in the backs.”
After their 60-7 victory at basement club Dudley Kingswinford last weekend eased relegation fears, Otley are bidding to keep up the good work at home to Birmingham & Solihull in SSE National League Two North.
Keighley are showing no lack of effort but are under even more pressure than the Bees, needing to bridge a gap of 13 points in SSE Yorkshire Division One to avoid the drop.
On Saturday, they are at mid-table Selby and welcome Adam Horsfall at centre after his partner gave birth last weekend.
He replaces Andy Ebbrell, while prop Paul Sinfield has announced his final retirement, his place being taken by David Smith.
Old Grovians stormed into the new year with an emphatic 35-0 win over Skipton last weekend in SSE Yorkshire Division Three, and head to Thornensians seeking successive wins for the first time this season.
When the sides met in October, Thornensians enjoyed a comfortable win but the 28 points Old Grovians scored marked their first four-try bonus point of the season.
Since then, Grovians have had to deal with a raft of injuries but have remained competitive, accruing 12 bonus points – the most in the division.
Director of rugby Martin Whitcombe has named a 20-man squad for Saturday's game, adding the experienced John Hinchliffe to a forwards group which has lost hooker Ben Weaving and lock Jack Baker from the team which were so dominant against Skipton.
Wibsey have one of their biggest games of the season.
The second-from-bottom club are at cellar dwellers Thirsk in SSE Yorkshire Division Five, with the Bradford club only two points better off.
“We want to avoid that wooden spoon,” confessed Wibsey’s first-team manager Steve Brooke.
They may be missing Matt Holdsworth (knuckle) and John Nall (wrist), who were both injured in the 38-0 home defeat by Knaresborough, but are hopeful that Martin Howarth (Achiilles) will recover.
Definitely back, however, are club captain James Birkbeck and second-rower Dave Wilkinson.
Keighley (at Selby): L Everett; L Carter, A Horsfall, M Ferrazzano, S Walker; A Brown, I Woodwiss; C Spencer, C Dyson, D Smith, D Iliff, J Walker, S Minikin, L Sugden, S Dyson. Replacements: M Symes, S Welch, D Pullen.
Old Grovians (at Thornensians): C Blackhall, D Gullick, D Roberts, J Trenholme, T Dalton, P Medley, J Strauss, J McGechan, S Robinson, J Hinchliffe, T Whitehead, B Brown, D Copsey, A Magee, J Yates, A Griffin, D Hendricks, D Hogg, O Szymanski, D Nulty.
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