THERE will be no throwing in of the towel at West Hartlepool and coach John Stabler is hoping for the first league win of the season today.

Although a third successive relegation is already certain after 22 straight defeats, the players had a meeting this week to confirm their commitment to the club.

"The players are very positive," said Stabler. "So it would be nice to get our first win against Camberley, especially as they treated us shabbily when we went down there. They moved the match to Aldershot without telling us."

The Surrey club are third from the bottom, battling with Lydney to avoid the second relegation spot.

West will be in National Three North next season and there has been inevitable talk of the club ceasing to exist.

But Stabler said: "The players sat down with the captain, Brett Cullinane, and 17 of them made a commitment to the club. There were one or two waverers, but only because they might be in a different part of the country next season.

"On the back of that the players also had a meeting with the board, who have a few things in the pipeline with regard to the ground. We need to feel we have a more permanent home.

"We still have an excellent junior section, and the under 18s have been winning everything. We need to make that the future."

Following relegation from the Premiership, Stabler took a two-year sabbatical from the police force to coach West, and play when necessary.

Last season's win at Orrell was his only taste of victory in a league match and no decision has been made on his future.

"I've always said if the players are in, I'm in," he said. "It's been a hard two years, but the hardest part has been the summers, ringing round trying to find players.

"I wanted to get it out in the open now and ask the players for their commitment. I don't want to start again in July with five or six players. If I could keep the bulk of this squad, with the experience they have had this year they could do quite well."

Among the youngsters Stabler has been impressed with are Yarm School product Phil Cuff, a full back or wing, and Durham Under-20s fly half Mark Laycock.

"Mark's best position for us has been full back and that's where he'll play against Camberley," said Stabler. "The backs have been playing well as a unit recently, and the front five have been doing better. But we have a problem in the back row with Dan Wright being unavailable."

Although skipper Doddie Weir is on the bench, Newcastle Falcons return to something like full-strength for tomorrow's final home match against London Irish.

The fact that Weir's replacement, Hugh Vyvyan, is named as captain is indicative of how highly the Falcons value the 24-year-old lock.

With Inga Tuigamala two weeks from full fitness and Liam Botham suffering from a hamstring injury, Gareth Maclure and Michael Stephenson are on the wings.

Victory will make virtually certain of a place in the play-offs for Newcastle as they would be nine points - or ten with a bonus for scoring four tries - ahead of London Irish, who are currently eighth, with two games left.

The Falcons' last two games are away to Rotherham and Saracens, and the likelihood is they will finish sixth and be away to Bath or Northampton in the play-offs on April 28.

The Sunday before that they have the European Shield semi-final against Harlequins at Headingley, when Tuigamala is expected to be fit.

Darlington Mowden Park have again fallen fall of foot-and-mouth, with Hull Ionians bowing to local pressure and declining to travel for today's game.

There is no foot-and-mouth anywhere near Humberside, and they are apparently determined to keep it that way as the other Hull club are already in dispute with Yorkshire Division One officials for twice refusing to travel to North Ribblesdale.

Mowden would have been without No 8 Aaron Radaelli, whose calf injury suffered two weeks ago could keep him out for the rest of the season.

Darlington have winger Paul Beattie back after a two-month absence with a hand injury for the visit of North Two East strugglers West Park Bramhope.

Mark Butler switches to centre with Craig Lee going to fly half in the absence of his brother, Paul, who is resting an ankle injury ahead of next week's Durham Cup final against Blaydon at Durham City.

l Four of the Durham School side who face Campion in the Under-18 Schools Cup final at Twickenham today have signed for Newcastle Falcons.

Centre Nick Hooper, lock Tom Stockport, No 8 Jason Smithson and full back Tim Heslop will all be attached to the Falcons' academy.

l The Durham Under-20 team to play Lancashire at Hartlepool Rovers tomorrow (2.45) is: P Cuff (West Hartlepool), M Potts (Darlington), I Dixon (Blaydon, capt), A Purves (Consett), F Coulson (Hartlepool Rovers), M Laycock (West Hartlepool), A Faulkner (Sunderland), K McKeowan (Gateshead), A Whittaker (Durham Univ), D Miller (Darlington), M Mutchell (Westoe), A Metcalfe (Durham Univ), N Pritchard (Darlington), S Schofield (Durham Univ), D van Rensburg (Consett).