Wibsey hope to have lock Dave Wilkinson and skipper James Brown back for their second-round Yorkshire Vase tie at Halifax tomorrow.

The Bradford side are hoping to bounce back from a surprise defeat at bottom-of-the-table Thirsk in Yorkshire Division Four North West.

With 13 players out injured and perhaps suffering from the rigours of playing virtually every week, the leaders went down 17-12.

Winger Jack Cull made it three tries in as many matches as Wibsey went into half-time at 5-5 but the loss of full back Adam Armitage to a high tackle that rendered him unconscious – only a yellow card was given to Thirsk’s Fijian back-rower by the Portuguese referee when it may well have been red – disrupted the visitors to such an extent that they could string very little together.

With players having to be moved out of position in the reshuffle – such as back-rowers playing in the centre – Wibsey could only manage a first try for Sam Foulds that was converted by James Sawyer as the hosts notched a deserved first victory of the season via a try and four penalties.