IT'S crunch time for Middlesbrough tomorrow, when they entertain second-placed West Park St Helens in North One knowing they cannot afford another home defeat.

"We need three wins from our last five games to stay up and this is probably the key one," said coach Dave Butcher.

"We should win our last two home games against Longton and Caldy, but the matches away to Morley and Huddersfield will be tough."

Butcher described the second half capitulation in last week's 44-13 defeat at Longton as "pathetic" and he and skipper Iain Bradford have read the riot act this week.

"We laid down the law on Tuesday then had a massive contact session," said the coach. "We tried to iron out all the things that were wrong in the contact situation.

"Third from bottom at this stage is exactly where I didn't want to be and it's up to the players to start taking responsibility. They have shown they can beat the best in the league at home and they have to do it now."

The situation has forced Boro to suspend the ban on prop Craig Chapman they intended to hand out after he was sent off for retaliation against Chester. They will now wait for the RFU hearing.

Chapman and Chris Horton are at prop, Dave Hinchley returns at lock after a lengthy absence and will have Chris Palesci alongside him, with Bradford switching to No 8.

It is hoped Dave Richardson will have recovered from the leg injury which forced him off last week, while full back Simon Moore returns earlier than expected after a leg injury.

Ross McNeill switches to the wing, with Kobi Gyasi on the other wing as Andy Micklewright has a hamstring injury.

Also in third bottom place are Darlington Mowden Park, who continue to work on the assumption that there will be relegation from National Three North and they have to pull clear of trouble over the next three games.

Questionnaires have gone out to all clubs from Twickenham asking for views on the expansion of the national leagues and there is still a feeling that the increase will go ahead, with relegation being scrapped.

But Mowden will be taking no risks as they attempt to beat bottom club Kendal home and away and also win at New Brighton, who are next to bottom.

Three wins out of seven could be enough to lift them above Leicester Lions, whose only chances of victories look to be their home games against Macclesfield in two weeks and Kendal on April 1.

Mowden could also overhaul Cleckheaton, who have no easy games left. Their three home matches are all against top six clubs, but they do have the advantage of visiting Macclesfield on April 29, when everybody else has finished.

Darlington visit Tynedale tomorrow and will again have coach Phil Lancaster providing cover at prop as Paul Scott is unavailable.

But Dan Miller is back in training after a setback in his recovery from a knee operation and he hopes to be given the all-clear on March 17.

Blaydon can afford to go all out for a big win against New Brighton as they have a blank date next week before visiting promotion rivals Nuneaton the following Saturday.

They also have a tough April with trips to Darlington and Tynedale, and home games against Preston and Nuneaton.

If Stockton are to have any hope of avoiding relegation in North Two East they need to avoid defeat tomorrow at Percy Park, who are one place above them.

Lock Mark Skirving returns after the birth of his son, but his brother Gary is working so Danny Muirhead switches to prop with Glyn Delmar hooking. Skipper Brett Wildridge returns after concussion, replacing Ian Todd in the back row.