Batley Bulldogs have been established in the Championship for a number of years and are currently fighting it out for a second consecutive finish in the top four.
But over the years, they have been the springboard for a number of players before they moved on to bigger and better things.
Here is a full squad of players who have been associated with the Bulldogs.
Fullback – Miles Greenwood
Perhaps the best years of Greenwood’s career came at Mount Pleasant. Under John Kear, Greenwood was prolific for two seasons, scoring at a rate of almost a try a game.
He subsequently re-joined Halifax, but a horrific injury ruled him out for the duration of the 2015 season. He is now playing for Rochdale.
Wing – Jermaine McGillvary
He is now one of the world’s best wingers, but it all started at Batley.
McGillvary spent the 2009 campaign with the Bulldogs and enjoyed a prolific season, scoring 22 tries in 30 games.
He subsequently earned selection into the Championship Team of the Year, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Centre – Josh Griffin
Griffin has been a prominent Super League centre for some time, but in 2012 he moved away from the 13-man code to play rugby union.
However, he returned in 2014 and linked up with Batley for the remainder of that season before joining Salford. He scored six tries in 10 appearances.
Centre – Aaron Murphy
Murphy didn’t spend a lot of time with the Bulldogs, but during his Wakefield days he made a number of appearances as he continued to rise through the ranks.
Wing – Greg Johnson
Johnson joined Batley in 2013 after serving a prison sentence.
He scored an impressive 18 tries in 28 appearances before being snapped up by Salford.
Stand-off – Matty Wildie
The versatile playmaker was a favourite at Mount Pleasant during a loan spell from Wakefield.
He stayed with Trinity until 2014 before joining Dewsbury.
Scrum-half – Gareth Moore
Batley have a fantastic halfback combination currently in the shape of Dom Brambani and Patch Walker.
However, perhaps the most popular of their recent halfbacks was the current Halifax man Moore, who enjoyed two spells with the Bulldogs either side of a quick stint in Super League with Wakefield.
Prop – Alex Walmsley
Perhaps the most memorable man on this list is ‘Big Al’, who was one of the most popular players to grace Mount Pleasant in recent years.
He only spent one full season there, but in that time he became a firm favourite and was named as the club’s 2012 Player of the Year. His performances earned him a move to St Helens.
Hooker – Kyle Wood
Another whose spell at the club was forgettable, nevertheless, the current Wakefield hooker did make 10 appearances for the Bulldogs in 2010 as he initially struggled to break into the Huddersfield team following his move to the Giants.
Prop – Keegan Hirst
Keegan is the most recent member of this team to play for the club, having only departed at the end of the season.
He spent five years with the club in total, although he did briefly leave in 2014 to join Featherstone. His abilities caught the eye of Wakefield, who snapped him up for the current campaign.
Second-row – John Davies
Davies has been around for years, but he first caught everyone’s attention as a 22-year-old when he joined Batley.
He quickly asserted himself as one of the competition’s best back-rows before moving to Sheffield in 2015, and a year later Featherstone, where he has continued to demonstrate his talents to a very high standard.
Second-row – Jason Walton
Jason Walton is back in the Championship with Featherstone these days, but he has his four year spell at Batley to thank for his time in Super League.
He started with the club in 2010 as a 19-year-old and, following some great performances, earned a move to Salford. Spells with London and Wakefield followed before his move to Fev.
Loose-forward – Jimmy Grehan
Perhaps the most obscure name in this team is ‘Jimmy’, who had a brief spell with the club on loan from Castleford.
It’s understood that he now has some involvement with the Corrimal Cougars in New South Wales.
