NORTHWICH occupy a promotion play-off position after beating Douglas last weekend, and the fear for their rivals is Martin Poste’s side remain unbeaten at home.

Eight of their remaining 13 matches this season are at Moss Farm, where they host Burnage on Saturday, kick-off 2.15pm.

“We need to carry on what we’re doing at our place,” said Blacks’ director of rugby.

“If we do, then that makes it harder for the others to catch us.”

Northwich still have to play host to three direct rivals before the end of the campaign.

One of those, Wilmslow, were the last team to win a North One West fixture at Moss Farm more than a year ago.

However Poste insisted he will not look beyond his team’s next opponents, who lost to Blacks by a single-point margin in the return fixture in September.

He said: “We have to be ready.

“It’s become clearer this season, with the league so much tighter than previously, that our preparation must be right.

“We also need all of our resources, and I was glad to give 18 guys a decent amount of time on the field against Douglas.

“I knew that would disrupt us, but not because the replacements are lesser players.

“It’s my job to do what’s best for the team, and in turn the club.”

He hopes to have second-row John Harrison and prop Ben Ridgway available again this weekend if they can recover from hand and shoulder injuries respectively.

However Sam Naylor is unavailable.

Blacks were not at their best during a 30-17 success against the Isle of Man outfit, who arrived in town third in the standings and only two points adrift of their hosts.

Tries from Tom King, Will Du Randt, Kyle Lindsay and Joel Barber secured a bonus-point for their side.

Poste said: “You can only reflect positively.

“As a coach you always want better, and if we’d been more clinical in the first-half then we’d have been out of sight.”