Underbank Rangers are ready to overcome a major injury crisis and storm to a National Conference League Third Division Grand Final triumph over Crosfields at The Cross and finally achieve promotion.

Definitely ruled out after picking up long-term injuries during last week’s 50-0 semi-final triumph over Hindley are Sam Rochford (knee) and Courtney Allette (hamstring).

But there are also question marks over the fitness of Michael Lang (shin), Stephen Berry, Andy Boothroyd, Neil Barrett (all shoulder) and Matt Adam (calf), who will undergo late fitness tests.

On top of that, Jordan Williams and James Usher are both unavailable.

As a result, the Rangers squad is stretched to the limit for the most important game of their season.

But player-coach Richard Knight, who is again forced to play because of the player shortage, is confident his side can still rise to the occasion and finally move up a division after a couple of demoralising close calls.

“We don’t even want to contemplate losing again,” said Knight, who has brought winger Corey Noel back from the start of his studies at Newcastle University to provide valuable cover out wide.

“Because it’s a Grand Final and everyone is desperate to play, I’m sure those players who are carrying knocks will try and get out there if humanly possible. These are the games when you are prepared to play through the pain.

“We have named the ‘injured’ players in our side, because we do remain hopeful they’ll be able to get out there. If they don’t then we’ve got a real selection headache on our hands.

“Obviously, this situation has taken a lot of the gloss off the build-up to such a massive game for the club.

“We’ve been successful in our bid to make sure we were peaking at the right time of the season, because we saved our best performance of the season for last week against Hindley. We completed at over 80% and conceded just five penalties, when our average has been about 13 or 14.

“But to pick up so many injuries in the process meant it ended up being a really frustrating day.”

Knight knows, however, that if his injury-hit side does find their best form, they’ll prove far too strong for their Warrington opponents.

“I’m sure they won’t be too confident coming over here to face us,” added the player-coach.

“We ended up running up a few late points to beat them well at their place early in the season and then we won by 50 against them at The Cross the other month.

“So we know they’re a team we can handle.

“They’ll have been boosted by their semi-final win over Coventry Bears last weekend (36-26), but we know that if we do play anywhere near our potential we’ll be too strong for us.

“We’ve also got far more experience when it comes to Grand Finals. We’ve been there a number of times before, while it’s a new experience for Crosfields, and I think that’s something else that’ll count in our favour this weekend.

“This is a massive occasion for us. We’ve earned the right to have home advantage and we do believe it’s about time we got out of this division and had the chance to prove ourselves at a higher level.”

Underbank: Knight; Noel, Chatterton, Lang, Dan Pawson; Barrett, Pogson; Valentine, Berry/Boothroyd, Karolczuk, Murphy, Adam, Nelmes. Subs (from): Berry/Boothroyd, Joyce, Farrand, St Hilaire, Dave Pawson.

... Lindley Swifts are ready to play their first Pennine League game of the season, when they travel to Sharlston Rovers A in Division I.

At the same time, Underbank Rangers will be looking to make it two Divison II wins out of two at home to Wyke.

In Division IV, Emley Moor travel to Sherburn Bears, while Division V side Slaithwaite Saracens look to back up their opening-day point with a home win over Thornhill Trojans A.

And in Division VI West, Meltham All Blacks travel to Wyke A.