Life is tough enough at the bottom without having a heap of injuries inflicted on you.

That’s the situation facing Wibsey, who have lost both of their matches so far in SSE Yorkshire Division Five.

Their coach Dave Grayson said: “We had a superb pre-season, getting about 20 players down to training and having a bonding weekend in Blackpool, and then we got seven players injured.

“Five of them have got broken bones, the injured including the whole front row, a replacement for the front row and both centres.

“My captain James Birkbeck should really take four weeks off with a cracked bone in his ankle but he is playing on for the monent.”

Wibsey have lost 43-12 at home to Garforth and were beaten 57-5 at Nestle Rowntree last weekend.

Grayson added: “We are allowed five replacements this season but we are struggling to get 15 out, let alone 20. We only had 13 at Nestle.”

Wibsey face Rawmarsh at Beldon Lane on Saturday but Grayson is hoping his injury crisis eases over the next few weeks.