Batley chief executive Paul Harrison admits promotion to Super League is a ‘dream’, but won’t rule out the possibility of it happening.
The Bulldogs are just two victories away from achieving a spot in the top four and fighting it out with Leeds Rhinos for a place in Super League next season.
A top four finish for the Mount Pleasant club was inconceivable at the beginning of the year having battled for survival until the latter stages of the 2015 season. However, impressive recruitment has seen the Bulldogs move to within touching distance of an unlikely top four spot, potentially beating Bradford to a place in the Qualifiers.
While reaching the Middle 8s would be a fantastic underdog tale in itself, Harrison has not ruled out the prospect of the Bulldogs achieving an unthinkable promotion at the end of the year.
“It could happen,” Harrison told BBC Radio Leeds.
“I fancy our team against anybody and you get there and then who knows? It would be a great problem to have, but it would be great. I think we’d stay part-time in Super League to be fair.
“We want to get there, Kevin (Nicholas, chairman) and myself are looking at updating the ground so we’re meeting all the requirements which the money if we do get top four will help us do. We’d definitely go to Super League if we could do so long as we meet the criteria which we’re on with at the moment.
“It would be great. It is a dream but sometimes in happens.”
Harrison admits that the team’s performances have even taken him by surprise
“We’ve struggled over the last five to six years, having one good season then three or four bad ones.
“But for whatever reason John Kear and the coaching staff, it just seems to have worked special this year and we’re in touching distance of the top four.
“We set John Kear a goal of getting in the top six, but with the money differences and the distribution it’s really hard. We thought if we got top six it would have been a really good year, but now we’re three weeks off the top four and playing Leeds Rhinos hopefully.”
