BRADFORD & Bingley know that ten points from their last four league matches will mean they are playing North One East rugby again next season.

“That will make us mathe-matically safe,” said Bees secretary Nick Patterson.

The Wagon Laners currently have 44 points but they have a game in hand over four of the five clubs below them.

Of those, West Hartlepool can only total 49 points, Northern 51 and Dinnington 53.

Martin Whitcombe’s men surprised promotion-seeking Penrith 32-24 in the Bees’ last home match, and Patterson said: “We have tended to either find form too late in a match or start well and fade away, but on that occasion we played well for 80 minutes.”

The Bees are hoping to field the same side tomorrow at home to fifth-placed West Leeds as in that victory, apart from Sam White hopefully coming in for unavailable hooker Mat Cochrane.

CLECKHEATON are already safe in seventh place with 58 points, but that doesn’t mean that the pressure is off for their match at relegation-threatened Percy Park, who have four games left and are on 38 points.

Player-coach Thiu Barnard said: “Our skipper Matt Piper has challenged us to win our last three matches, and a lot of the lads feel that way.

“If we do that, it will give us momentum to take into next season.”

Regular No 8 Jack Seddon is not available for the trip north-east, so Josh Plunkett moves across in the back row, with Brad Marsden coming in.

Winger Mikey Hayward is Cleckheaton’s other main absentee, and he is replaced by youngster Cain Crotty.

OLD GROVIANS, who are at third-placed Barnsley, can’t get the pipe and slippers out yet in Yorkshire Division Two as they could be overtaken by three of the four teams below them.

But survival would be a notable achievement for the Apperley Bridge club.

Cleckheaton (at Percy Park): J Wilson; G Fitzsimmons, M Swetman, Matt Piper, C Crotty; R Evans, J Bickerdike; P Turner, B Thrower, A Piper, L Pearson, T Austin, B Marsden, J Plunkett, J Carley. Replacements: T Mobbs, J Crowther, C Blackburn.