ON Saturday at Sandyleaze, the Gloucestershire Warriors host one of the form sides of the Co-operative Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier division in the Leicester Storm.

Having made a poor start to the season, including an 18-10 loss to the Warriors in May, the Storm have found their feet and have only been beaten by league leaders Coventry Bears in their last seven games.

That form has made them an outside bet to finish in the top two and qualify for a home game in the first round of the play-offs as both the Bristol Sonics and Birmingham Bulldogs have slipped up in recent weeks.

The game marks the Warriors’ last bid for a play-off place as a repeat of their triumph over the Storm in dreadful conditions at the start of the season would keep their interest alive until they travel to Coventry in three weeks as they have a guaranteed two points due next week from the bye awarded by Derby’s withdrawal from the competition.

The Warriors go into the game on the back of a poor run of form that has seen them concede a series of heavy scores. "We haven’t been able to field a settled team in recent weeks," explained Warriors head coach Tom James. "Players are working hard in training but that’s not coming over in games because of the numbers of new guys involved every week.

"The players have plenty of individual ability but the lack of team structure makes it hard for them to show those skills and enjoy the game.

"We played strongly against the Storm in May and perhaps we got a little of the rub of the green on occasions but we worked hard for the win and more of the same would see us to the win we need."