Bradford & Bingley have also retained a good proportion of their squad as they contemplate a fourth-placed finish for the second successive campaign in SSE National League Three North.

The Bees are at second-from-bottom Morley on Saturday, and head coach Stuart Dixon said: “We are unlikely to catch Chester to finish third as they would have to lose both matches and we would pretty much have to get two five-point wins so we will probably finish fourth again - but with a better points total."

As for travelling to the Maroons, Dixon said: "That is a good, old-fashioned derby, and is always a big game regardless of league positions."

The Bees are without hooker James Brown as he is in the Yorkshire squad for their National Under-20 County Championship semi-final against Hertfordshire on Sunday.

Dixon added: "We are lucky in that we have Giorgi Lomtadze to come in, which isn't bad considering he is an under-20 Georgian international.

"A fair proportion of the first-team squad have already signed contracts for next season, so hopefully we can say more next week."