NEW Bradford Dudley Hill coach Tony Huby has told his extended squad that all of the shirts are up for grabs prior to their Kingstone Press National Conference League Division Two opener at Milford Marlins on Saturday, March 10.

The grapple for places starts on Saturday with a pre-season friendly at Dewsbury Moor Maroons, where Isaac Brown and Jordan Lambert – Hill's new signings from Victoria Rangers – are set for their seasonal debuts.

Hill began their season with two ties in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup, with a 38-4 victory at Loughborough University being followed by a deflating 24-12 defeat at Millom.

Huby said of the setback in Cumbria: "It was a very disappointing result after a solid if unspectacular hit-out at Loughborough.

"I was very disappointed with our discipline and we had a meeting with all the players after the Millom game to right a few wrongs and talk about the level of performance I'm expecting this season.

"This week at Dewsbury Moor will hopefully give me a chance to run my eye over a couple of lads who have trained very well as nobody totally cemented a place for the start of the season.

"We have more competition for places than we have had for a long time, and I intend to use the squad to increase performance level as we aren't in the position we were in previous years where the 17 each week were guaranteed a shirt.

"It's a great headache to have and great position for the club to be in."

West Bowling, who start their Division Two programme at Dewsbury Moor a week on Saturday, had hoped to have a friendly against Shaw Cross Sharks.

However, West's coach Glenn Barraclough said: "They rang us up on Tuesday to say that they could not raise a side."

In the Pennine League, the game of the weekend in Division Two Central is Clayton's match at Wyke in what is a must-win game for both sides as they seek a play-off berth.

Clayton are coming off a narrow defeat to Eastmoor Dragons in the Andrew Bennett Memorial Trophy, while Wyke received a walkover against Wortley Dragons in the league, who failed to raise a team.

In the Andrew Bennett Memorial Trophy this week, Queensbury face Beeston Broncos and Birkenshaw Blue Dogs travel to Featherstone Lions.