SEDGLEY Park player-coach Tim Fourie believes this first month of 2004 holds the key to his side's future.

Five games during January will go a long way to deciding whether or not Park emerge National Two champions and win promotion to National One.

The Whitefield outfit travel to third-placed Wharfedale, intent on maintaining or even stretching their eight-point lead at the top, while depriving one of their closet rivals of points.

"It's going to be a real test," said player-coach Tim Fourie.

"We'll be up against two of the best second rows in the league in Capstick and Lister, so we'll have our work cut out in the lineout again, then there's the sloping pitch, if you get the call wrong it can decide the outcome."

The previous meeting between the two at Park Lane in November was a close contest. Leading by a single point at half-time thanks to Ryno Ueckermann's trusty boot, a Ross Bullough try three minutes after the break sealed an 11-5 win.

"We're going to have to field our strongest team," said Fourie: "We're hoping to have Jimmy Naylor and Ian Voortman back and possibly lock Paul Arnold, but we won't know for sure until tomorrow."

Elsewhere, second-placed Nottingham entertain mid-table Rugby Lions; Harrogate in fourth travel to second-from-bottom Newbury; while fifth-placed Nuneaton are at struggling Rosslyn Park.

"Our aim is promotion, if we do not achieve it we will view this season as a failure," said Fourie.

"Pride dictates that if we get promoted we would want to do so as champions. To achieve that we really need to win all our January games, starting with Wharfedale."