SEDGLEY Tigers coach Geoff Roberts says his side will have to "get back on the horse" at home to promotion rivals Leicester Lions on Saturday after dropping out of the National Two North play-off place following their third postponement in four matches.

Torrential rain last weekend put paid to their scheduled match at Harrogate as only four out of eight games in the division survived the bad weather.

Saturday's opponents Leicester seized the opportunity, winning 5-3 at home to Huddersfield to move above the Tigers on points difference.

And Stourbridge also leapfrogged Sedgley to go second, albeit courtesy of a losing bonus points after going down 19-12 at Broadstreet.

Tigers remain in a strong position with three games in hand over the Lions and four over Stourbridge. But after managing just one match since January 9, Roberts is wary about the effects the enforced lay-off could have on his side's promotion push.

"As it stands, we will now have to play our last match of the regular season in May, meaning if we do end up in the play-off place then our opponents from National Two South will have an extra week off before the all-important decider," he said.

"We know we are still in a strong position, which in many ways was made even stronger at the weekend with Stourbridge losing.

"But we were already facing a hectic run-in, with no free weekends in our fixture schedule following our three previous postponements.

"Now, unless we can fit in a game under the floodlights, which would mean playing an extra game in midweek, it looks like our season is going to be extended.

"We also now face the prospect of playing a potentially decisive promotion battle against a Leicester side bang in form on the back of a long lay-off.

"They have all the momentum behind them, while our momentum has been broken.

"So we will have to get back on that horse, but we have home advantage and if we can somehow return with a win then that would stop Leicester in their tracks and put us right back in the ascendancy."

Sedgley also have a score to settle with a Lions side that knocked them off top spot with a contentious 10-9 victory in the reverse fixture in October.

The Tigers had kicked their way into a nine-point lead in a rain-affected game at Westleigh but had a perfectly good try from Ben Lloyd ruled out because the referee was unsighted and unable to give it.

"We made quick ground with a drive from the forwards before Ben peeled off the back of the maul and touched down at the sticks," Roberts recalled.

"But the referee was on the wrong side of the group of players and could not make a decision.

"In the end she had to award us a scrum on the five-metre line and Leicester went on to win the game by a point.

"That is the way rugby goes sometimes, but we know Leicester are a very strong side.

"They have good forwards and are good with the ball so whether or not the decisions go with us on the day, we know it is going to be tough and we have to be ready."