BATLEY BULLDOGS coach Mark Moxon says having captain James Brown and Dane Manning back on the pitch will significantly beef up his pack.
While Lucas Walshaw has had a setback on his return from a knee injury after picking up a calf issue in training, fellow second rower Manning has served an eight-match suspension for punching.
Fellow long-serving Bulldog and seasoned prop Brown is back to fitness after being absent since mid-April.
Batley’s loss at Featherstone stretched their winless run to five with Moxon telling the Dewsbury Reporter: “What we have lacked over the last few weeks was that toughness and resilience in the middle.
“We know that is what Browny and Dane are all about so it’s important we get them back.
“It’s the confidence they give the other lads as well. They are dominant characters in the group and on the field.”
Walshaw last featured in Batley’s first competitive match of the campaign, the 54-0 Challenge Cup second-round win at Newcastle in January.
