NEWCASTLE Falcons are hoping the return of Australian full back Matt Burke will help tip the balance in their Guinness Premiership relegation battle at Leeds on Tuesday (2.30).

Burke sat out the two European Challenge Trophy ties against Italian club L'Aquila, but Director of Rugby Rob Andrew said: "To have him nicely rested for this game is a major plus.

"He has been our best player by some distance this season and he has a real spring in his step at the moment. We just have to look at his workload in training and make sure we continue to get the best out of him."

Burke returns in place of Dave Walder, who will be joined on the bench by scrum half Shaun Richardson, signed this week from Darlington Mowden Park.

The youngest of three rugby-playing brothers from Middlesbrough, Richardson will be on contract with the Falcons until the end of the season, although Hall Charlton is expected to return after injury in the next fortnight.

"I believe we are going to have a good second half of the season," said Andrew. "This time last year we were losing players right, left and centre, but this time we have people coming back like Charlton, Jonny Wilkinson, Tom May, Anthony Elliott and Phil Dowson."

None of those will be fit for Tuesday, but prop Micky Ward has recovered from a shoulder problem and replaces Tynedale's Jonny Williams at loose head.

Joe Shaw, who was not registered for Europe, comes in on the right wing in place of James Hoyle in the only other change.

After losing their first eight games, Leeds won the next two and briefly left the Falcons on the foot of the table until they beat Wasps in their last Premiership outing.

Leeds have also been playing well in the Heineken Cup, for which they qualified by winning the Powergen Cup last year.

"They may be bottom but we are treating them with the respect they deserve from their recent results," said Andrew. "They are one of the form sides in England.

"They are also one of the few sides who like to play some good, expansive stuff with a lot of freedom, so the game has the potential to be an absolute belter between two attacking sides.

"They have had a big change of fortunes in the last six weeks and they will be expecting to beat us, but I think we also turned the corner with our win against Wasps."