KEIGHLEY Cougars have had a smooth ride at the start of the new League 1 season, and have almost named exactly the same 21-man squad for a third successive time.

But they have made once change ahead of tomorrow’s Good Friday derby at Hunslet tomorrow.

Veteran kicker Ben Stead drops out, which means young winger Codey Downey, snapped up from Huddersfield’s reserves in the off season, comes in.

He will have been stating his case in training to head coach Matt Foster, in the hope of making his first league appearance of the season.

Cougars are currently top on points difference from Hunslet, with the pair having won both of their two league games so far.

Keighley cruised to 56-12 and 58-16 victories over Cornwall and Workington respectively to put themselves top of the pile.

But after beating Newcastle 48-12, then claiming a gripping 26-24 win at Rochdale, Hunslet are breathing down Cougars’ necks.

And their head coach Dean Muir, formerly in charge of West Bowling and an assistant at Keighley, knows his side will go top outright with a home win tomorrow.