YOU would think that getting promotion last season and having a full fixture list for the current campaign would give players a lift in terms of regular commitment.

Wibsey won Yorkshire Division Four last term and have so far won four of their eight games in 2019-20 to sit seventh in Yorkshire Division Three.

However, at the time of writing they only had 13 players who had committed to travel to Rotherham Phoenix.

"It is more difficult to get players for an away match but it is very disappointing to only have 13 so far," admitted Wibsey's player-coach Andy Robinson yesterday morning, echoing the kind of comments made recently by Old Grovians coach Andy Hinchliffe.

"People have more commitments these days, but communications between coaches and players is also getting more difficult and you end up having to chase them all the time.

"All I want to do is play rugby, and Rotherham is only an hour's drive away - it is not a million miles.

"However, we have a couple of irons in the fire to ensure that the game is played."

Bradford Salem have their own problems in Yorkshire Division One - how to beat leaders Heath at Shay Lane.

"The obvious danger is their pack," admitted Salem's chairman Neil Klenk.

"They got a couple of pushover tries last weekend in their 31-15 win at West Leeds and Heath have a very strong front five, including recruiting Paul Turner from Cleckheaton.

"I was talking to their chairman Paul Sutcliffe last Sunday and he said that they had had a second row injured against West Leeds but that that was no problem and they have a capable deputy they can bring in, so they have strength in depth.

"Heath lost in the Yorkshire-Durham & Northumberland play-offs last season 24-23 at West Hartlepool and they also lost in the Yorkshire Shield final to Old Brodleians on the 4G pitch at Keighley that didn't really suit them so Heath are determined to make amends this season and go up as champions."

Klenk added: "Also our record against Heath is not good - I reckon that we have lost six consecutive matches against them, including two in successive weeks in the league and Yorkshire Shield."

The bonus for Salem is that Damien Pearson, Sam Dunn and Connor Malarkey, all unavailable for selection last weekend due to work commitments when they sneaked a win at Hullensians, are back in the mix.

Keighley are at home to Bridlington, with both clubs needing a win to move away from the lower reaches of the table.

Cleckheaton, who dropped two places to fifth in North One East on the back of their 14-10 home defeat to Morley, have Brad Marsden and Ben Thrower available for the trip to 12th-placed Pocklington.

Eighth-placed Bradford & Bingley, 27-20 winners at home to Pocklington last weekend, are at Malton & Norton, who are two places below the Bees.

Old Grovians, fourth in Yorkshire Division Two, are at ninth-placed Wensleydale.