City are currently just one point ahead with Northern just one point behind us. The latter have a local derby at Novos this week and host Westoe next week before travelling to Rovers for the last game.

City have still to go to Stockton, who  beat them at Hollow Drift, before finishing at home to relegated Ponteland. Our games, of course, are home to Gateshaead next week and away to Novos on the last day.

It's unlikely that anything will be decided until the very last day - including the  runner-up place. Whoever gets that will be at home to Yorkshire One side Heath, from Halifax, in the play-off final on Saturday April 27th .

There's 240 minutes of rugby to be played before then with both sides go into this week’s showdown off the back of scoring twelve tries in last week’s games. We beat Acklam 74-0 at home with the backs getting all of the tries, while City scored 80 points at Medicals but they did concede 33.

Top scorer Will Hilditch returned to grab a hat trick from full back, while outside centre Davy Heckles also notched three - bringing his tally to eight tries from just five games after his timely return to the club. Luke Mallinson is also making a big impact with six tries from six games after returning from West Leeds.

In fact, this game sees the league’s top scorers take on the best defence – City having scored 1074 point in their 23 games while we have conceded only 347.

It could hardly be set up better, and we will be well supported with several coaches and many more cars heading for City. With the Stags in a CaNDY Cup FInal up the road at Ryton, where they take on Ashington with a 4.00 pm kick off,  there's  also a coach to take both sides to their big games,

There are one or two tactical changes after some well attended training sessions this week.

West: Will Hilditch, Luke Mallinson, Davy Heckles, Peter Youll, Max Tennant, Stu Waites, Ryan Painter (captain), Adam Coates, Andrew Rollins, Adam Brown,  Jake Linighan, Chris Atkins Alex Barker, Scott Butcher, Jay Corbett.