IT’S going to be an unusual year for Batley given the departure of head coach Craig Lingard, who has led the Bulldogs since 2020.
But, in new boss Mark Moxon, they have someone who worked alongside Lingard throughout his time at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium and has spent 12 years overall at the club. He will therefore know what it takes to make Batley tick.
The likes of Josh Hodson, James Meadows and Samy Kibula, who have made the move to Super League sides, will all be big losses for the club, but the acquisition of Featherstone stalwart Luke Cooper and Halifax livewire Brandon Moore will go some way to bolstering the Bulldogs pack.
Batley finished seventh in the Championship in 2023, with the 1895 Cup going a long way to derail their season, but a play-off spot will once more be the aim as the club enters a new era.
Watch out for… THE Gibbons twins. Joe and David have joined Batley from Leeds, where they have featured for the reserves. Halfback Joe also spent time with Bradford and North Wales last season while David enjoyed a spell at Keighley. Both will add a new dimension to the Bulldogs’ play.
2024 squad: 1 Robbie Butterworth, 2 Dale Morton, 3 Kieran Buchanan, 4 George Senior, 5 Elliot Kear, 6 Ben White, 7 Josh Woods, 8 Adam Gledhill, 9 Alistair Leak, 10 Luke Cooper, 11 Dane Manning, 12 Lucas Walshaw, 13 James Brown, 14 Oli Burton, 15 Nyle Flynn, 16 Michael Ward, 17 Luke Blake, 18 Joe Burton, 19 Joe Gibbons, 20 Dave Gibbons, 21 Greg Johnson, 22 Paul Chitakunye, 23 Josh Rhodes, 24 Jonny Mitsias, 25 Brandon Moore.
Rugby League World predicts: 8th
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 494 (March 2024)
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