Check out our weekly previews and predictions for the National Leagues.
Blaydon v Tynedale
Both these two sides are mid table in the Form guide with just two wins in their last six matches and both were losers last weekend.
Blaydon went down to a narrow two point loss at Kendal last weekend with David Dalrymple having an unlucky day with the boot with the woodwork causing him problems. They remained fourth despite the loss but have three sides just a point behind them.
Tynedale were also beaten last weekend going down to North East rivals Darlington as they slipped to a second successive defeat and third in four matches.
Tynedale have slipped to 8th in the table but a win could see them move up to5th as they have a superior points difference to the sides immediately above them in the league table.
Team news:
Tynedale: P Belgian: B Duncan, P Mooney, B Hills, P Boston, J White, E Holmes: J Williams, A CHarlton, P SOuthern, K Johnson, Andrew Murray, A Robson, G Rastall, Jamie Murray.
Tynedale welcome back Jake White at fly half after illness. In the front row Johnny WIlliams returns after "duty" at the Falcons. Andrew Murray moves back into the seocnd row with Jamie Murray coming back at No 8.
Prediction: Blaydon by less than 10 points.
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Darlington MP v Kendal
Darlington MP sit in third place in the Form Guide after Waterloo and Halifax on the back of three successive wins including a 35-28 win at Preston last Saturday.
Kendal are just a place below them in the form guide in fourth place with four wins in their last six matches and a victory would make it three in a row. .
DMP moved up to fifth last weekend and are a point behind Blaydon and two behind New Brighton in third.
These sides met in the Powergen Cup and Darlington MP thrashed Kendal on that day but they do seem to have got their house in order since then.
Team news:
Prediction: Home win by 14 points.
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Fylde v Preston
A “four pointer” even at this early stage of the season with Fylde in 11th place and Preston two places below in 13th, they have both managed just two and three wins respectively this season.
Preston are staring at a sixth straight league loss against a Fylde side that have managed just one win at home in five but it was last time out when they beat Dudley Kingswinford 36-10.
Preston on the road have lost all six matches but apart from the thrashing at Blaydon, none has been by more than six points.
A win for Fylde could see them jump up to 9th in the table whilst Hoppers need a win to try and stay in touch with the sides above them and not get cut off.
Team news: Fylde haven't suffered any more injuries following the Macclesfield
match and player/forwards coach Martin Scott returns at hooker following
his late withdrawal last Saturday with a mouth abscess. Jon Taylor
replaces Roger Banks amongst the replacements. The last minute defeat in
Cheshire hasn't deflated the squad's morale. The coaching staff are
stressing in training this week the need to improve ball retention as
Macclesfield won far too much turnover ball.
The Fylde line-up is:
15 Richard Kenyon; 14 David Wiseman, 13 Karl Long, 12 Paul Reeves, 11
Mark Evans; 10 Mike Scott, 9 Lawrence Condon; 1 Matt Filipo, 2 Martin
Scott, 3 Jon Webster, 4 Erik Lund, 5 Greg Johnson, 6 Emmett Wallace, 7
Paul Bamber, 8 Jon Kay.
Replacements: 16 Steve Ellis, 17 Craig McIntyre, 18 Martin Wallwork, 19
Jon Taylor.
Prediction: Tough call but home win by less than seven.
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Halifax v Darlington
Unbeaten Halifax are going for 12 in a row and with home advantage they should run out comfortable winners over a much improved Darlington side.
Darlington are on a three match unbeaten run with two home wins, including a 19-12 win over Tynedale last Saturday, and a draw away at Longton giving them five points in their last three matches to see them move up to 10th place in the league table.
Halifax have won all six home matches so far this season passing the 30 point mark in four of them.
Team news:
Halifax: D McGee, A Canning, C Emmerson, J Bloem, A Irving, D Sanft, J Bartlett, A Blades, C Mortimer, R Szabo, R. Hill, M Smith, D Jessiman, A Ledger, R Afoa-Peterson.
Replacements: M Faulkner, G Lewis, R. Davis, N Cooper.
Darlington: Richard Lang, Ian Coulson, Graham Haswell, Marc Butler, Ben Snook, Craig Lee (Capt), Rob Stewart, Dan Miller, Rob Goddard, Joe Oselton, Richard Snowball, Richard Taylor, Anthony Lewis, Martin Howe, Ian Wilkinson.
Replacements: Paul Shepherd, Matt Dilworth, Andrew Carphin, David Easton
Referee: Ged Stone
Prediction: Home win for Halifax by 15 points.
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Liverpool St Helens v Macclesfield
After three successive defeats, and four out of five, Liverpool St Helens need to return to winning ways as they entertain Macclesfield at Moss Lane.
LSH have had some games where they have pushed Waterloo, New Brighton and Halifax but come away with nothing last week though they went down to a disappointing loss at Dudley Kingswinford where they thought they would come away with the win.
Macclesfield though are on a bit of a role with four wins in their last five matches which has seen them rise to 7th in the Three North League table and will fancy their chances.
Team news:
Prediction: LSH need to win Macclesfield will win by less than seven.
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Longton v Waterloo
Unbeaten Waterloo travel to Longton looking to make it ten out of ten in the league this season and keep the pressure on Halifax at the top of the table.
Longton are bottom of the table with three points but have been difficult to beat at Roughcote Lane where they have defended resiliently. They have managed seven tries at home in the league but have restricted the visitors to even fewer, just five. So Waterloo will need to be at their best to breach the Longton line.
Team news:
Longton retain last weeks pack complemented with the return of no. 8 Neil
Smith. In the backs the hospital wards remain full with Andy Green, Carl
Howson, Andy Whalley, Rob Wheat, lee Gray, Scott Rawlings, incapacitated in
one form or other.
Nevertheless Rich McCartney retains the No 10 berth after a very promising
debut at Halifax, centre Simon Price returns to the side after work
commitments last week and prodigal son Luke Granger makes his return in the
forwards on the bench.
Team and 3 replacements at the moment, the fourth replacement will be
selected once availabilities/injuries are known. Team is:
1. Tim Wareham, 2. Jez Moss, 3. Rianes de Klerk, 4. Nick Hunt, 5. Gareth Rawlings, 6. Dave Bennion, 7. Tim Wood, 8. Neil Smith, 9. James Gabriel, 10. Rich McCartney, 11. Wayne Dicken, 12. Simon Price, 13. Paul Green, 14. Rick Christopherson, 15. Tony Wheat
16. Craig Wilson, 17. Luke Granger, 18. ??????, 19. Scott Rawlings
Prediction: Away win by 15 as Longton defence given real test at Roughcote Lane.
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New Brighton v Dudley Kingswinford
Home win would seem on the cards at Hartsfield with 3rd placed New Brighton strong favourites against struggling Dudley Kingswinford who are in 12th place.
New Brighton need the win to end a two match losing run which has seen them beaten by the top two and leave them within two points of the four sides immediately below them in the table and well behind the leaders.
DK were back to winning ways last weekend with a late late winning penalty to beat Liverpool St Helens by a single point enough to move them up a place in the league table.
Team news:
The selectors have to contend with a lengthy injury list following last Saturday's bruising encounter with Waterloo. Jay Stirrett is awaiting the results of x-ray investigation of his injured ankle which threatens to sideline him for some weeks. Phil Buckley's neck injury has recovered well but not sufficiently to risk playing this week and the same is in the case of Chris Naylors knee injury. Damian Penisini who pulled an Achille's Tendon last Saturday starts on the bench.
Steve Kelly gets the start at loose head prop with Antony Probert standing in for Phil Buckley at hooker. Tom Blackwell, only recently returned to fitness after illness comes in for Jay Stirrett at lock. With Steve Bellis back after a two weeks absence, the loss of Chris Naylor in the back row is well covered. Ian Murray's wrist injury is not as serious as at first feared and gets the start on one wing and young Steve Dean takes up a position on the other. Both Steve Ormisher and Loa Tupou move onto the bench as a consequence. Crowd favourite, retired Sergeant Major Carl Turley is the fourth bencher. The older Dudley Kingswinford supporters will remember him playing for Dudley K more than a generation ago. We can assure them that it really is the same guy.
Team Sheet. 1. Steve Kelly, 2. Anbtony Probert, 3. Ian Davies, 4. Tom Blackwell, 5. Richard Bradshaw, 6. Adam Kettle, 7. Jon Sewell, 8. Steve Bellis, 9. Dave Wood,10. Antony Birley, 11. Ian Murray,12. Tom Mapp, 13. Ian Wynn,14. Steve Dean, 15. Dan Naylor.
Substitutes. 16. Damian Penisini, 17. Loa Tupou, 18. Steve Ormisher, 19. Carl Turley.
Prediction: Home win by 20 points.
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