DEFENCE will be the order of the day on Saturday when Clayton welcome Woodhouse Warriors to Lidget Green in Pennine League Division Two.

The Villagers, who should be up among the leaders, have posted 30-plus totals in six of their seven outings so far, but have managed to haemorrhage points the other way by throwing away match-winning tallies on three occasions.

Clayton have a trio of potential game-breakers in free-scoring centre Ryan Wilkinson, loose forward Simon Giles and lively stand-off Dane Bairstow, so coach Scott Pendlebury will concentrate on overhauling their leaky rearguard to tey and ensure taking the spoils.

Division Four leaders Queensbury meet second-placed Kinsley Hotel Raiders at Deanstones Lane.

Bury's ability to post tries from long range through their speedy three-quarter line should prove decisive.

Stand-off Billy Naylor and wingman Chris Hanson are no strangers to the scoreboard, and the pack are responding to the leadership of veteran Andy Senior in great style.

Wyke are on the road for the second week on the trot with a visit to Castleford outfit Cutsyke Raiders.

The black and whites are still feeling disgruntled after last week’s farcical 14-14 draw at Dalton, with the game lasting only an hour due to a partly-frozen pitch after Wyke had made  a 240-mile round trip.

Coach Warren Pitman has a much stronger squad on duty this time and will be looking to overturn the 42-36 home defeat at the hands of the hosts, who came off second best at Brighouse Rangers last time out.

Rangers, who lost to them 32-12 in the first game of the season, will have to be at their best when they travel to unbeaten Ovenden.

But Rangers are now back in form, as they demonstrated by taking Cutsyke apart last week through the prompting of half-back pairing Ben Drennan and Jamie Barraclough.

Birkenshaw Bluedogs will be looking to leapfrog hosts Allerton Bywater into third place in Division Four when they search for a another win after seeing off Doncaster Toll Bar on home soil.

The newly-branded Bluedogs have recruited well of late, with Damian Smith already stamping his authority on the backs and hooker Nathan Hadfield organising a strong pack in which second-row forward Ben Cousen is consistently finding the whitewash.

Birkenshaw forward Simon Owen has finally hung up his boots following a 26-year playing career.

'Ginner’, as he is known by all and sundry in the local game, started out as a full back with West Bowling, gaining Yorkshire and BARLA honours before moving to his local team, Wyke.

His enthusiasm for the game saw him compete successfully at prop forward before moving on to Birkenshaw. After a number of debilitating injuries this season, including broken ribs, a snapped bicep ligament and a damaged knee, he has decided to call it a day.