After an enforced sabbatical of watching Swinton - or wandering aimlessly around the Trafford Centre - normal service is resumed with a trip to Post Office Road and an intriguing encounter with Featherstone Rovers.

Fev currently sit just one place below Hornets in NL1 and a point behind following their somewhat surprising draw against Oldham and a good win away at Batley.

In the opening exchanges of the season, coach Gary Price has been busy bolstering his side with players with Super League expwerience. Joining Fev on loan, Huddersfield pair centre Stephen Jones and prop Jasonm Southwell, along with Wakefield half back Liam Finn, made a big impact in Rovers' colours - but only Southwell remains for this Sunday's game as Jones returns to the Giants to provide injury cover and Featherstone negotiate to extend Finn's stay.

Also out of the side is prop Andy Jarrett who requires a knee reconstruction and is likely to miss the remainder of the season.

On the plus side, Price does have fullback Andy McNally back in contention after a lengthy layoff with a broken elbow.

As always, Featherstone have assembled a side big on determination and hard graft - and they'll be a difficult proposition at home, using the tight confines and slope of the Post Office Road pitch to their advantage.

Familiar names in the side include ex-Batley centre Danny maun and, in the other centre jersey, a name synonymous with generations of Featherstone success: Newlove. This time, though it's Richard - the fourth member of his family to play for Rovers; the others being John, his father who featured in Rovers' famous Challenge Cup win, brother Paul, who also played for Bradford, Saints and GB and Shaun who played for Rovers in1989/90.

At Hornets, Bobbie Goulding has pretty much a full squad to choose from. Andy Leathem comes back into the reckoning after cracking his collarbone at the start of the season and he adds pressure on the other props to keep their places. The only real doubt is Dave McConnell who is struggling to shake off an ankle injury.

Despite the three week break, Goulding has been keen to maintain the momentum of the last gasp win over Halifax and has included a bonding session in his preparations for the resumption of the season.

For the fans, Featherstone is always a 'proper' game of Rugby League - passionate, tough and resonant with what makes our game great: two traditional names slugging it out for glory.

With only a handfull of wins there since VE Day, Post Office Road has been a bit of a graveyard, but we know that wins at places like Featherstone are what separate the pace setters from the also-rans.

With three weeks off, I'm gagging for some RL that matters and I hope you are too - so, let's get over to Fev on Sunday and get behind Bobbie's lads.

Your support is both vital to the cause and appreciated by the team, so come and lend us your voice for a couple of hours and show them how much it matters to us.

It'll be an absolute stonker - and you'd be barmy to miss it! We'll see you there.