Keighley may have won only one of their five away matches this season in SSE North One East but their director of rugby sees no reason why they cannot double that tally on Saturday at Cleckheaton (3pm).

“We certainly feel that we can come away with the spoils,” said Graeme Sheffield of what should be an exciting derby.

“We see it as a very similar game to Old Crossleyans away, where we only lost 22-19 in October.

“We will be travelling a relatively short distance to face a traditional rugby club – in fact some of our players live so close to the ground they will be meeting us there.”

Keighley have also won at Darlington (36-31) and run Pocklington close.

“We may not have Paul Sinfield, Scott Dyson or Stuart Inman but we hope to have Ollie Sugden, Adam Sutcliffe, Josh Hannah and Ashley Waligura back, and can bring in new signings Liam McGee and Paul Rossi.

“We will have a strong squad and it is a game I am looking forward to.

“The fact that it is under floodlights doesn’t worry us as many of the team have played under lights at Wharfedale in a pre-season friendly and it is a challenge for the ones that haven’t.”

Cleckheaton, apart from second row Grant Turton, who is out with the broken thumb that he sustained in the first five minutes at Northern, are at strength. Matt Beasty gets another opportunity at lock.

Cleckheaton spokesman Alan Bentley said: “We don’t want to lose against Keighley, especially with it being a derby, and we are at our strongest in the backs.
“We have some potency there with Johnno Marshall, Ross Hayden, Ollie Marns and Martin Woodhead.”

Unfortunately, Keighley had to forfeit their Centurion Yorkshire Cup tie last Saturday at Hull due to a lack of props.

“It wasn’t a decision that we took lightly. Indeed, we saw inclusion in the Yorkshire Cup as being one of the benefits of gaining promotion.

“But the safety of players is paramount and we didn’t have enough props.

“Ironically, we could have played the game at the beginning of the season but chose not to because we are such slow starters to campaigns.

“It is nice to play teams from other leagues and we thought we would give Hull a better game if we played them on December 1, but it backfired on us and we have been left with a mean amount of egg on our face.”

Keighley (at Cleckheaton) from: H Titley, A Sutcliffe, B Blackwell, M Ferrazzano, A Horsfall, D McGee, A Brown, C Spencer, W Armitage, O Sugden, R Clarke, D Illif, A Waligura, S Minikin, L Sugden, L McGee, P Rossi, A N Other.
Cleckheaton (home to Keighley): Johnno Marshall; R Hayden, O Marns, Matt Piper, M Woodhead; I Gordon, J Bickerdike; P Turner, S Worsley, C Piper, D Nolan, M Beasty, R Piercy, R Piper, O Akroyd. Replacements: B Thrower, R Bennett, J Wilson.