NEW Earswick ARLC are thankful to have a week off to recover from a double whammy.

Saturday’s demoralising 66-6 home loss to Wibsey Warriors in the Pennine League championship division was compounded by the withdrawal from the league of Kippax Welfare – which has seen championship clubs coming from division one west given two points to their tallies as a walkover result for fixtures not played against the departing outfit.

This has seen All Blacks, table-toppers in division one east, fall from third to sixth in the aggregated championship standings as they seek a place back in the premier tier.

Kippax have quit to concentrate on Summer Conference rugby.

This weekend the President’s Cup semi-finals take place, All Blacks having been knocked out in the previous round.

Club spokesman Phil Pallister said: “It’s not a bad thing having a week off. It should give players carrying knocks some recovery time.

“We are disappointed Kippax have withdrawn from the league as this has given an advantage to the teams from the first division west who made it to the championship division as they’ve being awarded points to cover the fixtures not played by Kippax.

“This partly explains why we dropped from third to sixth after last weekend’s defeat so we have to regroup and try to pick up as many points in our last four matches as we can.”

In division four, All Blacks ‘A’ host leaders Oulton Raiders ‘B’, who thrashed the York side 60-10 in the last meeting. Coach Carl Pallister will have a full complement to choose from.

Double-seeking Selby Warriors, second in the third division, go to Woodhouse Warriors, sixth in the tier below, for their Andrew Bennett Memorial Trophy semi-final.

They will be favourites to reach the final against either Newsome Panthers or Stanningley ‘A’, both of whom play in division two.

Selby Warriors ‘A’ host Odsal Sedbergh ‘A’ in division seven.

Neither York Acorn nor Heworth have fixtures in the National Conference League. Acorn play their penultimate game of their doomed premier division campaign away to Skirlaugh on Tuesday night.

Acorn ‘A’ have a top-of-the-table clash at Batley Boys in the Yorkshire League second division.

The reserves are top, with Batley second, three points back. An Acorn win would put the title in sight.

Heworth ‘A’ play hosts to Ryhill Hammers in the third division.