YOU would expect someone to be a shoo-in to retain their starting berth after scoring a hat-trick of tries.

However, that is not the case for Otley winger Sam Melville, who bagged a treble in their 30-22 National League Two North victory at South Leicester last Saturday.

Cross Green secretary Marc Lawrence explained: "Tom O'Donnell is back at flanker, so James Wood has reverted to the wing at the expense of Sam, who drops to the bench."

Lock Jon Stannard is also among the replacements for third-placed Otley at home to 13th-placed Tynedale, who aren't making a good fist of things following their relegation last season.

Yorkshire Shield holders Bradford Salem, sixth in Yorkshire Division One, are in the happy position of being able to give their cup defence a real go.

"We are not planning on going up and we fear that West Park Leeds and Selby are for the drop, so, although the league is our main priority, followed by the national cup (they qualified for the RFU Senior Vase by winning the Shield last season), we can give the Shield a decent priority too."

Salem, who are at Hullensians, are without Chad Bain, who has been picked in Canada's final 20-man squad for the Rugby League World Cup qualifiers which start next weekend.

Also missing are flanker Jamie Booth, lock John Morrell and winger Neil Wall but back come flanker Dan Snowden, after a cut to the head, prop John Bradbury and winger Nick Fontaine, while Sam Savage, the ultimate utility man, switches to the back row.

Bradford & Bingley are also taking the Shield seriously and welcome back winger Adam Sutcliffe and flanker Masui Akauola, give prop Michael Crotch a start, switch Nick Gore to full back and have former skipper Barry Clark on the bench at Scarborough.

Baildon are at home to regular league foes Thornensians in the Yorkshire Silver Trophy, but Cleckheaton have been given a walkover by Dinnington in the Yorkshire Cup.

Cleckheaton's rugby chairman Neil Gillan said: "Dinnington rang us up earlier in the week to say that they had no front rows and have conceded the tie but we are still waiting to hear officially whether we have been awarded it."

Second-placed Keighley, who are two league matches behind nine of their rivals in Yorkshire Division Two, start playing catch up by visiting Castleford.

Bradford & Bingley (at Scarborough): N Gore; A Sutcliffe, L Moore, T Fiddes, A Mitchell; G Nortier, R Scull; M Crotch, S White, R Wederall, R Hughes, B Mitchell, M Akauola, T Cummins, G Whately. Replacements: B Clark, E Peglau, C Fisher, B Greaves.

Bradford Salem (at Hullensians): D Belcher; N Fontaine, C Clough, H Hall, R Smith; A Robinson, M Child; A Hewitt, A Veitch, R McKessar, J Cunliffe, B Scarbrough, D Snowden, C Wood, S Savage.