Top game in the Holmen Iggesund Cumberland ARL tonight brings together the two title contenders.
Wath Brow Hornets A entertain Distington in the knowledge that they are the only team to beat the champions so far.
But they trail their visitors by two points in the League table, and from a game more, so a win is a must from their point of view.
But the two sides will go into action with much-changed line-ups.
Hosts Wath Brow are having to bring in a number of their Under-18 players because seven or eight more seasoned members of the squad are missing.
Meanwhile Distington are expecting to be up to 12 players missing from their match-day squad.
Distington coach Aiden Worthington certainly respects the Brow after they knocked them out of the Amateur Cup earlier in the season.
“They are a good team but we are looking forward to the challenge.
“We have a number of players unavailable, through one reason or another, but the young lads coming in have the opportunity to stake a claim for regular starts,” he said.
Opposite number Paul Farrell says: “We played well to beat them in the Amateur Cup but they are a well-coached and well-organised side.
“We played them up there in the League and we were well beaten and we know we can’t play like that again.
“With players missing tonight we will bring in some of our Under-18s and see how they cope. It’s an opportunity for them.
“The weather promises to be good and we expect a good, hard game well worth seeing.”
There’s sure to be total commitment in an Allerdale derby clash between Glasson and Maryport.
Both will consider that they should be higher up the table than they are at present, and look capable of progressing over the second half of the season.
Glasson and Maryport have each won two games so far in the League, and a draw has helped Glasson sit two places above their neighbours in the table.
The third game is hopefully going ahead with Ellenborough A due to entertain Kells A.
Bottom of the table Ellenborough have suffered points deductions through cancelling games, but look as though they will be able to go into action tonight.
League table
- Distington played 8, won 8, pts 16
- Wath Brow A 9, 7, 14
- Kells A 10, 7, 14
- Cockermouth 8, 6, 12
- Hensingham A 9, 4, 8
- Lowca 9, 3, 6
- Glasson 8, 2, 5
- Egremont A 9, 2, 5
- Maryport 9, 2, 4
- Ellenborough A 7, 1, -2
