ANOTHER place in the Pennine League premier division could well become available - but New Earswick All Blacks ARLC are "not yet ready" to take it.

That was the opinion of player-coach Jack Stearman after learning that Thornhill Trojans are to be granted a place back in the summer National Conference League ranks and so are likely to follow Drighlington out of the winter Pennine League top tier in mid-season.

A recent Pennine League reshuffle due to comings and goings saw the championship division disbanded, with four teams going up into the premier division and the rest, like All Blacks, forming a new division with championship one clubs. Should Thornhill move out to leave the premier division back with only nine teams, one more side from the 12-strong championship one could now be moved up.

New Earswick player-boss Stearman, who takes his charges to Batley Boys on Saturday (2pm), reckons Doncaster Toll Bar, if anyone, should go up.

"If Drig left in mid-season, you'd expect Thornhill to go as well," he said. "There are already more teams in our division so one team might be moved up and, if anyone, it should be Toll Bar. We're not ready for the premier division yet as a club or a squad. Toll Bar have won every game."

Asked about All Blacks' promotion goals, Stearman added: "The aim is to finish as high as we can. If we do well and get presented with promotion we'll have to make ourselves ready.

"By then we and our younger players have another year under our belts and with a few more experienced players we could do okay."

All Blacks, handed a walkover win by Newsome Panthers last weekend, could leapfrog this Saturday's hosts into third place in the table if they bag a first win on the road this season.

Nic Caldwell has work commitments, while Joe Hemmings is expected to be out injured for a while, but several players are back after being unavailable last week, including Stearman himself.