Wharfedale skipper Rob Baldwin had to endure another afternoon of watching last weekend.

The No 8 said: “I have a rib cartilage injury and I tried running on Tuesday night and it was no good.”

Last weekend’s 29-28 defeat at home to Sedgley Park in SSE National League One didn’t help Baldwin’s mood.

The Dalesmen are third from bottom, and he confessed: “We have lost five game like that now this season – that is 20 points – and the prospect of relegation is too horrible to contemplate.

"We just need one win to give us more self belief but our league just seems to get harder.

"Whether that is because other teams are recruiting more than us I don’t know.

“But we have a small squad and it is difficult to cope with the amount of injuries we have had.”

At least full back Dan Hart has recovered from the knock he sustained at Stourbridge to bolster Wharfedale on their return to Blaydon in SSE National League One.

"And history is on the Greens’ side. His team have an impeccable record at Blaydon, having won all four of their matches there.

Simon Horsfall moves from full back to his normal wing position to take over from James Druce, who is on the bench.

In a starting line-up otherwise unchanged from the one which ought to have beaten Sedgley Park, Tom Davidson continues at centre and will resume possession of the kicking tee.

Mark Tampin and Tom Barrett, both released by Leeds, are on the bench.

After winning three and drawing one of their first six matches, Blaydon have now lost five in a row, conceding 171 points and 26 tries in the process, including 58 points and nine tries last week at lowly Cinderford.

Wharfedale have lost their last three matches by an aggregate of eight points, despite outscoring their opponents ten tries to nine.

Wharfedale (at Blaydon): D Hart; S Jordan, A Hodgson, T Davidson, S Horsfall; LGray, P Woodhead; T McGee, B Sowrey, N Dickinson, J Quinn, R Rhodes, A Myers, D Solomi, R Brown. Replacements: M Tampin, S Graham, J Holland, T Barrett, J Druce.