SATURDAY.
LHF Healthplan National League Three.
Featherstone Lions v Hemel Hempstead Stags.
Featherstone Lions bring their LHF Healthplan League Three campaign to a close knowing that a shock win could see them climb off the foot of the table.
The Lions have only won one game all season but could overtake Huddersfield Underbank if results go their way.
But Stags' boss Troy Perkins is determined to keep Rangers rooted at the bottom with a clinical performance from his troops.
Perkins said: "We're just concentrating on playing well and really the score is irrelevant this week, as long as we take some good form into the play-offs.
"We want to play how we train. Even though Featherstone are one of the weaker teams, we want to play to a pattern and get things right for next week. That's our main focus."
Perkins is Hemel's only injury concern as he battles to overcome a shoulder problem.
St Albans Centurions v Warrington Wizards.
Wizards' administrator Dave Whalley has warned his side not to lose focus ahead of Saturday's LHF Healthplan League Three trip to St Albans.
Warrington are likely to clinch second place in the league ladder if they can take two points.
Whalley said: "It's a must win game. We've worked really hard over the last eight games to get ourselves into this position and we don't intend on slipping up now.
"But the Centurions are at home and keen to get fourth spot wrapped up, so we know they will be tough opposition.
"If we can continue the good form we showed last week against Bramley that will be very pleasing."
Wes Lawton (holiday) is unavailable for the visitors but Whalley remains confident of naming a strong side.
Huddersfield Underbank Rangers v Bradford Dudley Hill.
Rangers' boss Aaron Perrin wants to go out with a bang at the end of the 2006 LHF League Three campaign.
Perrin knows that a win against Dudley Hill would ensure Rangers do not collect the wooden spoon.
Perrin said: "The plan is to end on a high. It's been a tough year so we want to end on a positive note.
"We've played a lot of young guys this season. We've got five or six under 20 years of age that have played for us who will be a lot better for the experience. We know where we need to improve for next year but I think the nucleus in the side is very good."
Perrin is aware of the threat that Dudley Hill pose. He said: "They're quite a good side when they've got their full-strength side out, but it will be a tough game no matter what side they field."
Gateshead Storm v Bramley Buffaloes.
Rob Jones takes charge of his final fixture as Storm coach before moving upstairs looking to play the party pooper.
LHF Healthplan League Three leaders Bramley have already guaranteed themselves top spot but Jones wants to make sure they slump to only their third defeat of the season.
Jones said: "We have a clear aim - to spoil the party. Apparently they're looking to nil us so we're looking forward to the challenge."
But Bramley chairman Martyn Cheney insists his side have no such goal.
Cheney said: "It's just a bit of friendly banter.
"It'll be nice to finish the regular season on a win and we need to get back to winning ways after last week's defeat at Warrington.
"Gateshead are a determined side that never gives in so we'll have to be prepared - we can't take anything for granted."
Mitch Andrews returns for Storm in the second row but Liam Andrews (broken cheekbone) is still missing.
SUNDAY.
LHF Healthplan National League One.
Hull KR v Doncaster Lakers.
Rovers' coach Justin Morgan wants his side to focus on their collective performance in Sunday's final LHF Healthplan League One fixture of the year.
The Robins clinched the League Leadership trophy last week but Morgan insists there is still plenty of pressure for his men.
Morgan said: "This is a huge game for us.
"The last two weeks have been about ourselves and our performances and this is no different - we need to develop from last week's performance.
"We played reasonably well but we need to improve on that because after this game the really important stuff starts."
Gareth Morton is set to return for Rovers while Doncaster, who could still sneak into the play-offs if results go their way, are not facing any major injury concerns.
Leigh Centurions v York City Knights.
Leigh coach Tony Benson says he can feel the excitement in his squad ahead of the LHF Healthplan League One play-offs but wants to make sure they wrap up third place with a win against relegated York on Sunday.
Benson said: "It's essential that we take two points from this fixture.
"There's a lot of excitement in the camp at the moment. We're in good shape, we've got a good, challenging game ahead of us and we're looking forward to a good battle.
"But it's very important that we get the win that we need to confirm third place."
Jimmy Taylor is definitely missing for the Centurions while Benson was facing late checks on forwards Ricky Bibey and Rob Roberts.
Knights' coach Mick Cook said: "We've already restored a little bit of pride but it's important that we put in another quality performance and finish on a real positive note.
"It's a must win game for them because they can drop down to fourth. We're expecting a very tough game.
"They're a big, physical side, but we've got a bit of confidence about us."
Rochdale Hornets v Batley Bulldogs.
Hornets' boss Darren Abram is likely to be without Andy Gorski for the rest of the year after an MRI scan revealed he had a broken leg.
Abram faces a battle to secure a spot in the LHF League One play-offs on Sunday but knows that a win will be enough to guarantee the Hornets' place.
Abram said: "If we win we jump to fifth, if we get beat we're relying on other people.
"We want to go into the play-offs on the back of a win, not two losses and I think it will be a case of who handles the pressure best.
"Batley can still drop out, Halifax and Doncaster can still make the play-offs so it keeps everything very interesting."
Batley coach Gary Thornton can look back on a year he believes has been a roaring success' with plenty of pride but is desperate to finish with a spot in the top six.
Gary said: "The initial target was to improve on last year, which we've done, and then get in the top six which, hopefully, we've done although it would have been nice to secure the place last week.
"A lot depends now on what happens at Widnes."
Lee Harland (broken arm) is definitely missing but Olly Marns (calf) and Andy Boothroyd (shoulder) could both return.
Whitehaven v Oldham.
Haven coach Dave Rotheram admits to a sense of pride as his side prepare for their final LHF League One clash of the year.
Rotheram faced a difficult spell in mid-season but has been impressed by his side's character and determination since then.
He said: "We were under a bit of pressure in mid-season and there was a lot of expectation of us.
"But we've shown what a good team we are by working ourselves out of that position. Since that thumping at Hull KR (Whitehaven lost 74-12 in early June) we've been one of the best teams in the league."
Rotheram expects to name a very similar side to the squad that overcame Halifax last week.
Roughyeds' boss Steve Deakin has plenty to reflect on surrounding his side's campaign.
He said: "It's not been easy and a lot of lessons have been learned.
"But I am sure we can turn these into positives next year in what will be a tough LHF League Two."
Star Stat: OLDHAM will become only the fourth club to lose all their League matches in a full peace-time season* if they go down at Whitehaven on Sunday. They have lost all 17 LHF Healthplan National League One matches so far this season.
The three clubs to have lost all their League matches are: Liverpool City 30** matches in 1906-07, one league system .
Runcorn Highfield 28 Division Two matches in 1989-90 .
Nottingham City 26 Division Three matches in 1991-92 .
** Liverpool drew a League match against Bramley that was expunged from the table as the return fixture was cancelled. In addition, Liverpool lost against Pontefract, but this was also expunged after Pontefract disbanded early in the season.
* Clubs to have lost all their League matches in a War Time Emergency League were: Broughton Rangers 10 Lancashire WEL in 1940-41 Leigh 13 Lancashire WEL in 1940-41 Bramley 19 WEL in 1941-42 Halifax finished with no points in Super League 2003. They won one match, but were deducted two points for breaching the salary cap the previous season.
OLDHAM have lost a club record 18 successive Cup and League matches. The losing run started with a Powergen Challenge Cup-tie defeat and was followed by all 17 LHF Healthplan National League One matches. Their last win was 32-28 at Keighley Cougars in the Northern Rail Cup Group Five on 26 March.
Widnes Vikings v Halifax .
Widnes coach Steve McCormack wants his troops to maintain their concentration as they look to secure second place in LHF League One.
McCormack said: "We can't afford to slip up. Halifax are a very good side on their day and they know they can still sneak into the top six, but our main aim is to cement second place.
"They'll have plenty of incentives to cause us problems though, so we'll have to make sure we prepare well."
Barrie McDermott (groin) should be fit to play and will be added to the same squad that thumped Doncaster last week.
Fax boss Martin Hall said: "We're still in there fighting and we'll go to Widnes looking for a good result."
LHF Healthplan National League Two.
Blackpool Panthers v Barrow Raiders.
Blackpool coach Simon Knox will welcome back Neil Hayden and Janan Billings as the Panthers battle to climb away from the bottom of LHF Healthplan League Two.
Knox said: "The players have put so much hard work in this year.
"There's been a big improvement in our team compared to this time last year and they don't want to finish bottom of the table, that's for sure."
A win would guarantee Blackpool finishing off the foot of the table but Raiders' boss Paul Crarey has also got reason to be focused.
Crarey said: "It's about keeping our form going and being a little bit tidier.
"We're playing well but some of the things we did last week were a little bit untidy. We want to be more solid.
"Blackpool score a few tries at home so we have to limit their scoring chances if we want the points."
Michael Basan is back in contention but injured duo Dave Clark and Lee Dutton are not likely to feature.
Celtic Crusaders v Featherstone Rovers.
Crusaders' coach John Dixon is happy with his side's position as they prepare to enter the LHF Healthplan League Two play-offs.
A win against Featherstone would guarantee the Welshmen third place in their debut season, but Rovers will also clinch third if they win on Sunday.
Dixon said: "Things have gone pretty well for us. We're still in control of our own destiny - if we win our next three games we're in LHF League One.
"We want to be in LHF League One and we think that's still very achievable. But Sheffield and Featherstone both have their eyes set on it too, so it's a real battle."
Michael Ryan is likely to return for the Crusaders but Rovers' boss David Hobbs is likely to name an unchanged squad.
Hobbs said: "We've got to go to Wales and beat them - that's what it's about now. Everybody is fit and raring to go and our objective is quite clear this weekend."
Dewsbury Rams v Workington Town.
Dewsbury coach Andy Kelly wants his side to finish the job on Sunday with a clinical display against Workington.
The Rams will earn automatic promotion to LHF Healthplan League One should they triumph.
Kelly said: "At the start of the year we'd have taken being in this position.
"But we all know Workington's capability and they're not going to roll on their back and want their belly tickled. They'll have a little mischievous goal this week.
"We're well aware that we have to win the game but it's not a bad position to be in."
Town boss Ged Stokes insists the pressure is entirely focused on Dewsbury.
Stokes said: "They've got everything to gain and everything to lose on Sunday.
"It's been our goal for a while to go out with a positive result and all our games against Dewsbury have been pretty close this year. There's no pressure on us to perform at all."
Star Stat: SHAUN LUNT of Workington Town has scored tries in nine successive matches as follows: 2-1-1-3-1-2-1-2-1.
Gateshead Thunder v Swinton Lions.
Dean Thomas takes charge of his last home fixture as Gateshead boss looking to set high standards ahead of the start of the LHF League Two play-offs.
Thomas said: "This weekend is all about people trying to prove their worth for places in the squad next week.
"It's an important weekend for a number of players and it also allows us to bounce back from last week's defeat against Celtic Crusaders.
"It's also about the players' preparation and getting the right result and performance for the fans."
Lions' coach Paul Kidd is also focusing on the quality of his side's performance.
Kidd said: "It's one of those games where as long as we come out with a bit of form then I'm happy. I'll be concentrating on the performance more than anything.
"Gateshead are going to be very physical, it's their last home game of the season. They'll put a real good fight up this week and it should be good test."
Andy Saywell (wrist) is unlikely to be risked by Kidd ahead of the start of the play-offs.
Hunslet Hawks v Sheffield Eagles.
Hunslet can clip the Eagles' wings on Sunday as Sheffield search for a win that could - if Dewsbury slip up - see them clinch automatic promotion.
Hawks' boss Mark Cass said: "I'm not worried about what Sheffield are up to - it's a chance for us to prove a point.
"We want to show that we are a good side and finish 2006 on a good note before we start looking forward to 2007."
Andy Shickell and Danny Ekis could both return for the Hawks while Sheffield has no new injury concerns.
Eagles' coach Gary Wilkinson said: "We've got to face a Hunslet team who are full of enthusiasm and want to end the season on a high.
"In reality, our focus is on preparing for the play-offs and that's what we'll be doing."
Star Stats: Sheffield Eagles set a new club record of 10 successive League wins and equalled their best run of 10 wins in all matches with the 52-0 home defeat of Blackpool Panthers in the LHF Healthplan National League Two.
Sheffield had won nine successive League matches in three previous seasons - 1988-89 Division Two, 1991-92 Division Two and 1995-96 Stones Bitter Centenary Championship.
They set the record of 10 successive Cup and League matches in 1991-92. The run consisted of eight Division Two matches and two Regal Trophy ties.
Sheffield's 10 successive wins this season have all been in the LHF Healthplan National League Two. Their last defeat was 28-12 at Celtic Crusaders on June 18.
JAMES FORD of Sheffield Eagles has scored tries in five successive matches as follows: 1-1-1-1-2-1.
Keighley Cougars v London Skolars.
Long-serving prop forward Phil Stephenson will be handed the captain's armband for his last game for Keighley after ten years at Cougar Park.
Stephenson will be given an emotional send off but player-coach Barry Eaton is warning of the challenges the Skolars will present.
Eaton said: "I've seen a couple of videos of their recent games and they seem to have improved dramatically. They had that really good win against Featherstone about a month ago, and during the last two weeks they've had two good shows against Workington.
"They certainly seem to have improved defensively so it's going to be a difficult game. "Add to that the possibility that the losers could end up bottom of the league, whereas the winners could finish in ninth place above Hunslet, and it should be a cracker."
Skolars' coach Latham Tawhai said: "It's a big game for both clubs. Both teams would love to get a win and finish in that ninth spot."
Kurt Pittman and Tim Gee are both doubtful through work commitments but Pete Hodgkinson, a Harlequins academy player, could make his debut in the outside backs.
Leading scorers.
LHF HEALTHPLAN NATIONAL LEAGUE ONE.
(League matches only).
Tries.
Mick Nanyn (Widnes) 23.
Dennis Moran (Widnes) 17.
Craig Lingard (Batley) 16.
Danny Halliwell (Leigh) 16.
Ben Cockayne (Hull K.R.) 15.
Peter Fox (York) 13.
Shad Royston (Doncaster) 13.
James Webster (Hull KR) 13.
Mark Smith (Whitehaven) 13.
Chris Giles (Rochdale) 12.
Joel Penny (Halifax) 12.
Jon Steel (Hull KR) 12.
Lee Greenwood (Leigh) 12.
Goals.
Mick Nanyn (Widnes) 94.
Graham Holroyd (Doncaster) 63(2).
Carl Rudd (Whitehaven) 62.
Gareth Morton (Hull K.R.) 49.
James Haley (Halifax) 44.
Kevin King (Rochdale) 37.
Damien Couturier (Hull K.R.) 33.
Steve Jones (Batley) 32.
Mark McCully (Rochdale) 29.
Julian O'Neill (Leigh) 28(1).
( ) Drop goals included in total.
Points.
Mick Nanyn (Widnes) 280.
Graham Holroyd (Doncaster) 140.
Carl Rudd (Whitehaven) 132.
Gareth Morton (Hull K.R.) 126.
James Haley (Halifax) 116.
Kevin King (Rochdale) 90 .
Damien Couturier (Hull K.R.) 78.
Steve Jones (Batley) 68.
Dennis Moran (Widnes) 68.
Craig Lingard (Batley) 64.
LHF HEALTHPLAN NATIONAL LEAGUE TWO.
(League matches only).
Tries.
Tony Duggan (Celtic) 26.
James Ford (Sheffield) 18.
Andy Saywell (Swinton) 18.
Shaun Lunt (Workington) 17 .
Eric Andrews (Blackpool) 16.
Wade Liddell (Gateshead) 16.
Wayne McHugh (Featherstone) 16.
James Nixon (Barrow) 15.
Michael Ryan (Celtic) 15.
Carl De Chenu (Celtic) 14.
Richard Chapman (Dewsbury) 14.
Chris Hall (Dewsbury) 14.
Bryn Powell (Dewsbury) 14.
Goals .
Stuart Dickens (Featherstone) 78.
Darren Holt (Barrow) 74(3).
Damien Quinn (Celtic) 65.
Jonny Woodcock (Sheffield) 63.
Barry Eaton (Keighley) 59.
Wade Liddell (Gateshead) 59.
Francis Maloney (Dewsbury) 53(2).
Steve Kirkbride (Workington) 47(1).
Tony Williams (Hunslet) 39(1).
Lee Marsh (Swinton) 38(1).
( ) Drop goals included in total.
Points .
Wade Liddell (Gateshead) 182.
Damien Quinn (Celtic) 178.
Stuart Dickens (Featherstone) 176.
Jonny Woodcock (Sheffield) 162.
Darren Holt (Barrow) 157.
Barry Eaton (Keighley) 138.
Liam Finn (Dewsbury) 126.
Francis Maloney (Dewsbury) 120.
Eric Andrews (Blackpool) 106.
Shaun Lunt (Workington) 106.
COMBINED NATIONAL LEAGUES (All matches).
Tries.
Tony Duggan (Celtic) 35; Mick Nanyn (Widnes) 30; Byron Ford (Hull KR) 28; Wayne McHugh (Featherstone) 26; Ben Cockayne (Hull KR) 25; James Nixon (Barrow) 24; Shad Royston (Doncaster) 23, Lee Greenwood (Leigh) 23, Andy Saywell (Swinton) 23; Mark Smith (Widnes) 22.
Goals.
Mick Nanyn (Widnes) 122; Graham Holroyd (Doncaster) 117 (2); Stuart Dickens (Featherstone) 103; Carl Rudd (Whitehaven) 97; Darren Holt (Barrow) 96 (5); Gareth Morton (Hull KR) 87; Damien Quinn (Celtic) 85; Francis Maloney (Dewsbury) 82 (2); Barry Eaton (Keighley) 81; Damien Couturier (Hull KR) 78.
( ) Drop goals included in total.
Points.
Mick Nanyn (Widnes) 364; Graham Holroyd (Doncaster) 268; Damien Quinn (Celtic) 238; Stuart Dickens (Featherstone) 238; Gareth Morton (Hull KR) 234; Carl Rudd (Whitehaven) 214; Darren Holt (Barrow) 203; Wade Liddell (Gateshead) 194; Damien Couturier (Hull KR) 192; Francis Maloney (Dewsbury) 185 .
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