BRADFORD & BINGLEY’S future in North One East could well be decided over the next six matches.

The Bees are tenth with 29 points, and between now and March 3 they face five clubs who are also in the bottom half of the table, plus Huddersfield YMCA, who are seventh, one place above the bottom half.

First up on Saturday are bottom-of-the-table Northern (14th, 21 points), while YMCA (seventh, 37) and Percy Park (12th, 26) must also visit Wagon Lane, on February 3 and March 3 respectively.

Meanwhile, the Bees must travel to West Hartlepool (11th, 28 points), Malton & Norton (ninth, 30) and Cleckheaton (eighth, 36) on January 27, February 17 and 24 respectively.

“If we can win most of these games, bearing in mind that these teams are also playing each other, then we can haul ourselves out of the mire,” said Bees secretary Nick Patterson.

The Bees are not as strong this weekend as in their 28-20 victory at 13th-placed Dinnington last weekend, with lock Richard Hughes, hooker Corey Spencer and winger Ryan Wilson drafted in to play.

CLECKHEATON have a derby at West Leeds and give their fly-half berth to teenager Bailey Smith.

The Moorenders’ player-coach Thiu Barnard said: “Mike (Swetman) is thinking about retiring to concentrate on coaching and we aren’t going to win the league or finish second and we aren’t going to go down.

“Bailey is only 18 and is talented but needs game time so we have decided to throw him in at the deep end.”

Mikey Hayward starts at full back, with Barnard adding: “We moved him there last week at Driffield with 20 minutes to go and he looked a threat so let’s see what he is like playing there from the start.”

BRADFORD SALEM, who have re-signed Chris Clough from Halifax, have delayed naming their replacements for the home match against Scarborough in Yorkshire Division One, while prop Alex Dodd-Jones, lock Will Blackhall and centre Tom Cluett return for OLD GROVIANS at West Park Leeds in Yorkshire Division Two.

BAILDON are without centre Matt Withers for their trip to Sheffield Medicals in Yorkshire Division Three, moving Luke Hope-Robertson over, while the return of centre Tom Cluett is timely.

WIBSEY, who need to beat visitors Bramley Phoenix in another derby to seal their place in the Yorkshire Division Four 'Super Eights', will be without prop Simon Birkbeck.

One of their try-scorers in the 19-8 home win against Halifax last weekend, he ended up in hospital on Saturday night with a rib injury and a bruised liver, and must rest for a month and stay off alcohol.

Returning for the villagers, however, are props Danny Carr and Alex Cerson, but back-rower Jon Nall.

Bradford & Bingley (home to Northern: B Greaves; A Sutcliffe, A Macdonald, A Walker, R Wilson; T Lightfoot, D Jeffrey; M Crotch, C Spencer, R Wederell, R Hughes, H Jeffrey, T Booth, T Cummins, L Fraser. Replacements: To be confirmed.

Cleckheaton (at West Leeds): M Hayward; R Evans, L Queeley, Matt Piper, P Foulstone; B Smith, J Wilson; N Jackson, J Crowther, A Piper, R Piercy, B Marsden, J Carley, J Seddon, J Plunkett. Replacements: P Turner, M Wood, L Darville.

Bradford Salem (home to Scarborough): D Belcher; M Bokiss, H Hall, A Robinson, R Smith; M Booth, J Simpson; W Collins, A Veitch, G Griekis, B Whitaker, S Gardner, C Manchester, C Baines, N Fontaine. Replacements (from): C Armstrong, S Savage, E Cousins, C Watson, B Birkett, J Bradbury.

Baildon (at Sheffield Medicals): N King; A France, L Strauss, T Cluett, D Fletcher; N Lister, O Williams; A Hewitt, J Robinson, W Tomlinson, C Peel, Z Orrell, M Dixon, D Cookson, H Strauss. Replacements: G Price, H Peers, G Kershaw, J Strauss.

Wibsey (home to Bramley Phoenix): A Rose, A Cerson, D Carr, R Hall, D Hartley, J Brown, S Foulds, D Wilkinson, S Taylor, R Taylor, L Wilson, R Simpson, K Carter, L Helliwell, A Armitage, B Wright, J Nall, R Goldsborough, J Sawyer, J Rogers, J Cull, R Greenwood.