Nottingham Outlaws return from last weekends break to face Halifax side Siddal at Highfields on Saturday (kick off 2.30pm). It will be very much a case of revenge mission for the Outlaws who were on the end of a heavy 62-6 defeat when the two sides met back in April in what was the Outlaws first game in the higher echelons of Yorkshire rugby.
The Outlaws go into the game with six straight defeats under their belts so they will be desperate for a reversal in fortunes. Indeed they currently sit in ninth position in the ten team Conference Premier Division. However a couple of wins would soon push them up the table and in the nine remaining fixtures the coaching staff have set a target of five further wins which would propel them into mid-table safety.
The mini break seems to have done the Outlaws quite a bit of good and they trained well this week, boosted by the return of a number of injured players who have been carrying knocks in recent weeks.
Indeed coach Strachan faced something of a selection dilemma with the return of several star players. Pacey backs Nathan Hill and Sam Campbell are both back in the fold along with youngster Harry Walton who took a heavy blow in the match against East Hull three weeks ago so there looks like being a number of changes in the backs.
The team are likely to be led around the field by the Cunliffe-Strachan halfback pairing with the experienced Paul Calland pacing the touchline ready to enter the fray from the bench.
In the forwards it is also good news as Chris Prime and Joe Barton return to add some muscle to the pack. They will possibly be joined by tearaway forwards Alex Wright and Conor Foulkes but both youngsters face late fitness tests which has meant that coach Strachan delayed naming his side until the medical reports land on his desk Friday morning!