HEWORTH ARLC have the chance at a sixth consecutive victory this weekend - but coach Scott Rhodes has insisted the game is no more important than any other.

The Villagers' climb up the National Conference League division three table so far sees them fifth following last week's convincing home win over Dewsbury Celtic.

On Saturday (2.30pm), Heworth visit Waterhead Warriors, where they have the opportunity to break up the group of teams on 16 points, of which the Villagers are one.

Regardless, former York City Knights star Rhodes said: "Every game is important to us.

"This is as important as any other game to me. We want to win and go and put on a good performance, and the players want to keep their shirts for the week after.

"People talk about goals - there's no goals. We go into every game wanting to win and if we can do that, the league table will take care of itself.

"If we play well, doing the right things on the pitch, they'll win games.

"I make sure my players go into every game wanting to win and the rest will look after itself.

"If we deserve to win, we'll win, if we deserve to get beaten, we'll get beaten, and that's the way it is."

When these sides last met in April at Elmpark Way, Heworth came away with a club-record 72-6 win - their biggest victory in the NCL.

This guarantees nothing for Rhodes, though.

He warned: "Some teams don't travel well, and we're not taking it for granted that it will be easy away.

"We've got to get into the arm wrestle, attack well and defend well.

"It's a tricky place to go. It's not the nicest of places - we're blessed in York and at Heworth, it's probably one of the best pitches in the country.

"We've got to be mentally strong and, if we play like we have the last five games, we'll come away with the two points."

Among the try-scorers against Dewsbury was promising under-18 winger Rhys Bailey, for whom it was his debut.

And this can only be good news for Rhodes and Heworth in both the near and foreseeable future.

Heworth are likely to be missing players including Adam Speck and Ben Dent, though George Elliott, Fergus Chapman, Liam, Watling and Adam Dent should be available.

"It shows we've got a little bit of depth,"Rhodes said.

"There's a lot of talent at the club, good 18s, good 16s, good 15s. The next three or four years, the future's bright.

"We want them players at Heworth. Look at (York) Acorn now - four or five of their best players are Heworth juniors that we've lost.

"The coaches are doing a fantastic job and it's great I can dip into the 18s and give them a couple of games."