BRADFORD & Bingley may be sitting pretty at the top of North One East after three wins from three but head coach Hugh Gumbs knows that it is too early in the campaign to get carried away.

Ahead of a trip to 11th-placed West Hartlepool, he said: “It has been an intense start to the season and we have scored a lot of points but some of the lads need a rest. Also we are coming into a very tough set of fixtures.

“West Hartlepool, like most teams in the north east, are not the same force away as they are at home, and then we are at home to York, who have had two very close losses.

“Then we are at Durham City, at home to Driffield, who have won their first three, and at Morley, who comprehensively beat us at home last season and will have their students back.

“It is not until all these matches are over that we will have a better idea of where we stand.”

The Bees hope to welcome back skipper Tom Booth tomorrow.

Sixth-placed Cleckheaton are at Moortown, who dropped from second to seventh on the back of their 54-7 drubbing at Wagon Lane last weekend.

Cleckheaton’s player-coach Thiu Barnard said of their 32-20 home win over Huddersfield YMCA: “I am happy with the performance, it was a good win and it was the type of game that we would have lost last season.”

Brad Marsden and Danny Booth are unavailable tomorrow so Josh Plunkett steps in to the second row and Mikey Hayward returns to the wing, while Matt Piper’s trapped nerve in his back has eased sufficiently for him to play at centre.

Old Grovians, winners of their first two matches in Yorkshire Division Two, encountered a perfect storm in their 85-0 home defeat by Old Rishworthians last Saturday.

Grovians’ coach Andy Hinchliffe said: “Rishworthians said afterwards that it was easily the strongest side that they had put out this season and that everything came off for them while it was massively our weakest side of the season and nothing came off for us.

“In fact we were close to conceding the match in midweek as we had six at a wedding and three doing the Three Peaks, but we always knew that September would be difficult with so many of our team playing cricket.”

Grovians, who slipped to seventh on the back of that hammering, are at third-placed Thornensians, while in the division above, 11th-placed Keighley, buoyed by defeating Old Crossleyans, host West Leeds, who are fifth.

Bradford Salem are having to use their sports therapist Pete Tennet in the front row at home to leaders Old Brodleians, but he has plenty of top-class experience with Otley.

Tenth-placed Wibsey will send a weakened side to next-to-bottom Skipton in Yorkshire Division Three due to injuries and suspensions.

However, Wibsey’s player-coach Andy Robinson, out with a hamstring injury, said: “When we have Harry Hall and myself back in a few weeks’ time we will have a side that is capable of winning the league.”

Baildon, who won at Wibsey last weekend, have another derby – this time at basement boys Aireborough.

Cleckheaton (at Moortown): J Marshall; J Wilson, O Depledge, M Piper, M Hayward; D Breakwell, T Breakwell; N Jackson, B Thrower, A Piper, R Piercy, J Plunkett, T Austin, J Seddon, J Carley. Replacements: A Rika-Rayne, C Crotty, C Piper.