Batley Bulldogs coach Craig Lingard says his team will have to take Leigh Centurions “out of their comfort zone” if they are to claim a fifth consecutive Championship win.
Adrian Lam’s side head to Yorkshire for a Premier Sports-televised contest tonight (Monday, May 16) seeking a ninth straight second-tier success as they slug it out with Featherstone Rovers, the only team to have beaten them in the league, at the top of the table.
Those two, both of whom have made significant additions to already strong squads since the season started, are favourites to feature in the Million Pound Game, which provides a Super League berth for the victors.
But the likes of Batley, Halifax Panthers and York City Knights are aiming to put a spoke in the wheel and ensure Featherstone and Leigh don’t have it all their own way.
The Bulldogs, who made last season’s play-offs, have already put the brakes on Rovers by holding Brian McDermott’s side to a 20-20 draw at their Fox’s Biscuits Stadium base back in mid-March, since when they have beaten Barrow Raiders, Dewsbury Rams, Widnes Vikings and Workington Town.
Now they are aiming to go one better by toppling Leigh, who could hand a debut to former Australia and New South Wales winger Blake Ferguson, who was playing for Parramatta Eels in the NRL last season.
While Lingard has built his squad on a decidedly smaller budget, he insisted: “We’re not just making up the numbers, and we don’t want to be gallant losers, we want to win, and we have to believe we can.
“Like Featherstone, Leigh have a squad packed with quality and are well coached, and there’s no pressure on us, because no one expects us to do anything.
“But while Leigh have some very good players, they aren’t superhuman, and as with every match, there are variables which can influence the outcome.
“Leigh might not like our sloping pitch, for example, so we need to make sure we bring our ‘A’ game and take them out of their comfort zone as much as we can.”
While Batley go into the game having had a 15-day break from action, Leigh played eight days ago, beating Sheffield Eagles 30-12 to make the final of the 1895 Cup (they face Featherstone at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of the Challenge Cup final on Saturday week, May 28).
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to play for some silverware, but the Batley game is our focus, and we’re ready for a tough test,” said Lam.
Batley 21-man squad: Luke Hooley, Perry Whiteley, Kieran Buchanan, Josh Hodson, Jonny Campbell, Ben White, Tom Gilmore, Adam Gledhill, Alistair Leak, Dane Manning, James Brown, James Meadows, Jack Blagbrough, Michael Ward, Luke Blake, George Senior, Tom Lillycrop, Dale Morton, Ben Kaye, Greg Johnson, Martyn Reilly.
Leigh 21-man squad: Caleb Aekins, Keanan Brand, Nene Macdonald, Ben Reynolds, Joe Mellor, Adam Sidlow, Aaron Smith, Mark Ioane, Joe Wardle, Sam Stone, Tom Amone, Ata Hingano, Ed Chamberlain, Jacob Jones, John Asiata, Luis Roberts, Edwin Ipape, Krisnan Inu, Kai O’Donnell, Ben Nakubuwai, Blake Ferguson.
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