Brods and Heath seek home success

Brods host Moortown (2.15) and although they haven’t had a league game for some time, plenty of the squad had a run out in a 21-7 defeat at Cleckheaton on Boxing Day.

Moortown haven’t played since December 2, when they beat one of the form teams this season, Scarborough, by 34-12 at Far Moss Sports Ground.

Their unbeaten run of four games also includes wins over Middlesbrough, Hullensians and a draw with Rishworthians as they show the form which made them Yorkshire Two champions last season.

Following the recruitment of several Southern hemisphere players, they will be looking to avenge the 27-21 defeat they suffered at the hands of the Woodhead boys in September.

Brods seconds will travel to Driffield and the Beavers will be at Baildon.

Heath entertain lowly Hullensians.

Dave Harrison’s men have been out of action since the beginning of December, having had postponements against top of the table York and derby foes Old Rishworthians since.

Harrison said it had been “desperately disappointing” not to play after a great run of results had taken the North Dean men to second spot.

The challenge now was to pick up where they left off and complete a double over foes they beat 19-10 earlier in the campaign.

Hullensians are 10th, having lost the services of long standing head coach Julian Barkworth in late October due to work commitments.

The break has allowed some niggles to clear up and many players have made use of the club’s weights room a over the festive period.

Seiffe Boussadda has returned from training with the Tunisian World Cup squad and Harrison hopes No 8 Richard Brown is fully recovered from a knock received in November and available for a spot on the bench.

Heath seconds host Ilkley, who are bottom in the Championship Merit league.

Rishworthians travel to Beverley in Yorkshire One keen to dent the East Yorkshire side’s promotion hopes and show how much they have progressed since the teams met at Copley in September.

Beverley lie fourth and their slick backs finished off Rishworthian hopes in the last quarter of that earlier game, although the home forwards were on top for much of the match.

Although the Copley men have not played for a month, Rishworthians have kept up their training regime and will be looking to regain the momentum they had built before two postponements.

They will be without impressive teenagers Kian Stewart and George Wright, who have been called up for the Yorkshire Carnegie Academy, but college returnees Richard Bullough and Jacob Bower will still be available for consideration.

Rishworthians will have an added boost if scrum half Ed Cockroft passes a late fitness test on the broken hand he sustained in the victory at Keighley in late November.

Old Crossleyans face a tricky trip to Ripon tomorrow, looking to revive their promotion hopes after a poor December.

Ryan Hammond’s men only managed to play two league fixtures and they lost them both narrowly, by three points at home to Wath Upon Dearne and two away to Barnsley.

They beat Ripon 39-21 on the third Saturday of the season but tomorrow’s hosts were unbeaten during October and November, their run being halted by 20-18 winners West Park Leeds at the start of December.

Halifax Vandals go to Barnsley having had a shorter break than most, losing 9-8 at home toWest Park Leeds on December 16. They lost the first meeting 40-19 and tomorrow’s hosts are 10 places higher in the table.

Halifax had been due to host Garforth, who pulled out of Yorkshire Four North West on the eve of the season.