Richard Piper was sent off for SSE North One East leaders Cleckheaton as they ended West Hartlepool’s unbeaten home record last Saturday.

But the Moorenders are confident they can cope without their skipper, who was dismissed for retaliation at the weekend after prop Paul Turner was being kicked, at home to second-placed Huddersfield YMCA on Saturday (3pm).

“Richard is a class player but Rob Afoa Peterson is used to playing at No 8,” explained Cleckheaton’s fixture secretary Alan Bentley.

Cleckheaton had to play the last few minutes with 13 men last weekend as Ollie Depledge was sin-binned. Piper is expected to be banned for three weeks to five weeks.

Bentley is certain that the match will go ahead, despite all the recent rain.

He said: “We have already put five tons of sand on the pitch and we have another pile at the side of the pitch, although it might be a problem if the tractor tyres sink in.”

Bradford & Bingley’s director of rugby Henry Paul says his team need to maintain their focus when attacking.

"We can lose concentration on the seventh or eighth phase,” said Paul ahead of their SSE National League Three North trip to Stockport, “but our attitude and effort has been first-class.”

The Bees are without Rikki Sheriffe and Phil Greaves.

Bradford Salem are calling on 43-year-old scrum half Terry Franklin for their SSE Yorkshire Division Two match at Roundhegians. He fills the gap created by Jack Mitchell.

Wibsey are without scrum half Connor Davies and winger Michael Fawcett at Rossington Hornets in SSE Yorkshire Division Five – hosts that they hope to overtake in the table by the season's end.

Threadbare Old Grovians host Burley in SSE Yorkshire Division Three.

Cleckheaton (home to Huddersfield YMCA): R Hayden; M Woodhead, J Wilson, Matt Piper, James Marshall; Michael Piper, J Bickerdike; P Turner, B Thrower, A Piper, G Turton, A Dawson, R Piercy, R Afoa Peterson, O Akroyd. Replacements: C Piper, J Seddon, O Depledge.

Bradford Salem (at Roundhegians) (probable): D Belcher; A Sutcliffe, C Malarkey, D Pearson, T Barnes; A Robinson, T Frank-lin; J Bradbury, A Veitch, D Luxton, J Cun-liffe, R Green, J Booth, K Falwasser, J Fawcett. Replacements: A Woods, S Markey S Davies.

Old Grovians (home to Burley) from: D Roberts; D Gullick, C Blackhall, M Lister, C Cockshott, J Strauss, J Trenholme, T Dalton, B Brown, D Copsey, A Magee, A Weaving, A Griffin, O Szymanski, J Yates, D Nulty, S Torr, R Hopkinson.