Bookies would rate them out and out favourites to come away from Beverley as victors in a two-horse race with Hull for the North One championship crown, and with it automatic promotion into the realms of national rugby.

Just a few years ago that achievement would have been regarded as an impossible dream at Wood Terrace – but Hull could upset the odds and shatter it.

The statistical position is that on the last day of the season Gareth Nesbit's men head off into Yorkshire with a two-point lead and a 38-point better scoring record than the Tykes, who, just a few miles down the road, will entertain second-bottom West Park St Helens.

It is feasible that Hull could give their lowly opponents a thrashing to wipe out that scoring deficit, in which case Gareth Nesbit's men must at least draw to forestall them.

If the worst did come to the worst, as runners-up Westoe could still gain promotion to National Three (North) in a play-off against their Midland One counterparts.

But that second scenario does not appeal to Nesbit, who declared: "We want to wrap it up at Beverley and head back home as champions."

He added: "Of course we know the odds are in our favour – to pretend otherwise would be naive. But to start worrying about points margins would be a recipe for disaster.

"It is all much more straightforward than that, we just need to go out and win. The key is in the preparation, and we believe we have got that just about right."

Though Beverley are fourth from bottom, they have won three of their last five games to escape the relegation zone, and Nes expects it to be a rugged contest against brawny opponents who would dearly like to topple the top dogs.

He said: "I believe our win against Birkenhead Park in our last game was excellent preparation, because they were also a big and physical side, and we were glad of the break in fixtures last Saturday to enable us to recoup."

It is certainly worth recording that that 25-0 victory meant that Dunes Adventure Island-sponsored Westoe had won all 11 home league games – an achievement the captain had targeted from the start of the season.

They hope to field the same side which also knocked third-top hosts Sheffield Tigers out of contention with a 30-5 beating, winger Graeme Haswell now confident that his arm damaged in the last game has recovered sufficiently.

The arrival of Northumbria University student Ashley Moeke has brought a better balance to the side after their successive defeats at Morley and Middlesbrough, and in the four games since Westoe have piled on 183 points, while their defence, in outstanding form, has conceded just 21.

So they head down to the Yorkshire wolds for what could be an historic encounter in good heart and shape. And if they can repeat the form of recent games, they should return in very good spirits.

* It is also a big day for the Thirds, who face Horden in the final of the Durham County Cup on the West Hartlepool TDSOB ground where they beat Durham City 29-10 to carry off the trophy last year. Kick-off IS 3pm.

If a Westoe side which contains plenty of experience with a dash of youth are again successful it will mean they will have most creditably won the competition five times in the past six seasons, their other previous final victories being against Darlington (26-0), Winlaton (3-0) and Durham City (19-9).