He takes his place in a side which will be minus Martin Todd who turned an ankle last week at Billingham. Toddy will be on the bench but Darren Thomas will make an excellent substitute.

Prodigal son Mark Cholmondeley also returns to the side after his brief sojourn at Otley. According to first team skipper Stu Bennett the former England schoolboy prop is ready for a big season.

Stu says: "Chummer is as big as ever, if not bigger, but he has really been putting the work in in training this past few weeks and he seems determined to have a good season. That would be a major boost for the club."

Bennett himself is in strong looking back row, with Henry Tones and Tim Sawyer, but all three will be aware that the likes of Phil Gilbraith, Greg Edwards and Will Richardson are looking sharp in training. They will be on a seven man bench alongside new prop Glynn Dono, new centre James Samson and second row Paul Rhodes.

Jamie Connolly will be at 10 for Redcar who also picked up a few pre-season injuries and will have the likes of Paul Beal and Charlie Challenor on the bench.

The slightly dubious prize for tomorrow's winner is an away trip next week to either Hull or Morpeth but on a pitch which is looking lush after significant investment and more than significant rainfall it promises to be an interesting opener to the season.

West: 1 Anth Carr 2. Brett Cullinane 3. Mark Cholmondeley 4 Paul Rudd 5 Carl Miller 6 Tim Sawyer 7 Henry Tones8 Stu Bennett capt 9 Davy Tighe 10 Phil Wallis 11Paul Miller 12 Allan Milne 13 Peter Hodgson 14 Andrew Hare 15 Darren Thomas. -- 16 Glynn Dono  17 Phil Gilbraith 18 Will Richardson 19 James Sansom 20 Martin Todd 21 Greg Edwards 22 Paul Rhodes