WITH the first teamers on midweek Yorkshire Cup duty coming through without any scares, Huddersfield’s director of rugby Mark Sowerby will name a full-strength side for tomorrow’s visit to Westoe (3.00).
The long trip to South Shields will be Huddersfield’s final away game of their successful campaign, with the last North I League clash of the season the following week at home to Altrincham Kersal.
That of course will be followed by the all-important play-off game the week after, although their Midlands I opponents are still to be decided.
Westoe’s Dean Road ground, with its sloping pitch, is always a difficult place to visit and last season Huddersfield were beaten 24-13.
Chris Johnson, who played in Wednesday night’s Cup defeat against Leeds Carnegie, emerged virtually unscathed and will take his usual place at stand-off.
He said: “I got a few stud marks in the legs, but that’s only normal and nothing to worry about, and I’ll certainly be playing.”
Nick Sharpe (who skippered the Cup side before being substituted in the second half), the Paxman brothers Lee and Ben, and winger Tim Collins were the other first team starters on duty on Wednesday, while George Hinchliff and prop Jack McPhail who have recently been starting on the bench, all reported injury free, and should feature in a pretty-much unchanged side tomorrow.
Huddersfield: McLaren; Collins, Mortimore, Paxman (B), Shaw; Johnson, Clayton; Howard, Davies, Stringwell, Sharpe, Rhodes, Pratt, Whitehead, Sowerby. Subs: Paxman (L), Hinchliff, McPhail.
