No stopping Huddersfield as Otley kept at bay while Ionians get back on track in race for title

Victory against a side seven places above them in the table seemed a tough task but the Maroons rose to the occasion.

Morley took the lead after three minutes when second-row Tom Richmond burst through to score and stand-off Luke Stevenson converted.

Cleckheaton hit back after 17 minutes through No 8 Richard Piper to make it 7-5 but seven minutes later Morley went further ahead with centre Bradley Marshall getting away out wide.

Stevenson added a penalty on the half-hour to go 10 points ahead, only for the visitors to cut that advantage two minutes from the break when Piper went over again, making it 15-10.

An early try from right-wing Andy Funnell set the tone for Morley in the second half, Stevenson converting.

Cleckheaton came back into it without adding to the score but the Maroons finished the stronger and a penalty five minutes from the end put the icing on the cake of a morale-boosting win.

Sandal’s game at Huddersfield YMCA was called off.

Sheffield Tigers’ match with Wirral was postponed in controversial circumstances after their opponents refused to play.

Two inches of snow on the pitch earlier in the week had thinned significantly, and the lines were cleared by groundstaff at Dore Moor. An early-morning pitch inspection by a referee deemed the pitch fit to play on, and when the match official arrived at 12.30pm, he agreed that the match should go ahead.

However, when Wirral arrived their captain disagreed and refused to play the match.

Beverley’s match against Westoe was called off on Friday to allow their opponents time to cancel arrangements.