LEICESTER kick off a busy weekend with an away trip to Berwick on Saturday (6.30pm) which sees both of their sides in action.
The Watling JCB Lions top the Championship table and are looking for a third successive win on the road, whilst the Lion Cubs then face a Bullets side who are the early pace setters in the National Development League.
The teams are then due to meet again at both levels at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena on Sunday (4pm).
Berwick’s senior team made a strong start to the season with several good results at Shielfield Park, although injuries have been a contributory factor to recent defeats against Redcar and Glasgow.
Leon Flint is recently back in action, but the Bandits are still without Jye Etheridge and will operate rider replacement, whilst former Lions man Ty Proctor is also ruled out and is replaced by Lee Complin at reserve.
The Lions are once again without Connor Mountain as he awaits his partner giving birth, with rider replacement operating as at Birmingham on Wednesday, and with Anders Rowe now having left the club, Jason Edwards comes in as a guest in both weekend meetings.
Manager Stewart Dickson said: “June is a very busy month for us, and Berwick is never an easy place to go.
“I know they’ve lost a couple of matches so far this season at home already, and I put that down to Jye Etheridge being missing, because he’s been scoring very big points for them.
“He’s missing again on Saturday so there is a chance for us to get something there, but it won’t be easy.
“Ideally I would have liked to have a seven man team, with Connor there, but his family situation has to come first. We go into the weekend with a chance to get more points, and hopefully we can do that.”
BERWICK: Chris Harris, Jye Etheridge R/R, Theo Pijper, Leon Flint, Ricky Wells, Lee Complin, Kyle Bickley, Luke Crang (no.8).
LEICESTER: Nick Morris, Connor Mountain R/R, Richie Worrall, Joe Thompson, Kyle Howarth, Jason Edwards, Dan Thompson.
The Lion Cubs then face a Bullets side who have won five of their first six NDL matches this season, and boast a perfect record of four out of four at home.
Of their visitors so far, only Oxford have reached the 40-point mark at Shielfield Park, and the Chargers are also the only team to beat the Bullets when they met at Cowley.
The Berwick side is a familiar one from last year with impressive youngster Ace Pijper their only new face.
Meanwhile the Lion Cubs bring in Kyran Lyden to guest at No.6 with Kai Ward now on the sidelines after a grasstrack crash last weekend, as they await the return to fitness of Max Perry.
Manager Dave Howard said: “This weekend will be the Cubs’ biggest challenge of the season so far.
“Berwick have a strong and solid team from one to seven, but we will also be looking to continue our really positive start to the season.
“I want to wish Kai all the best, and as regards Max he is progressing well following his broken collarbone and hopefully it won’t be too long now before he is back on track.”
BERWICK BULLETS: Kyle Bickley, Mason Watson, Ace Pijper, Greg Blair, Luke Crang, Kieran Douglas, Ben Rathbone.
LEICESTER LION CUBS: Dan Thompson, Mickie Simpson, Connor Coles, Tom Spencer, Joe Thompson, Kyran Lyden, Vinnie Foord.
