BATLEY BULLDOGS have signed Ben Reynolds from Featherstone and tied down existing halfbacks Josh Woods and Ben White for next season.
And centre or second rower Lucas Walshaw has committed to a seventh season at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium.
Preparations for 2026 will include making the short 2.3-mile trip to Walshaw’s home town and previous club Dewsbury.
It’s the Rams’ turn to host the annual Boxing Day Challenge (noon), in which Batley haven’t been beaten since 2011, although there have been two draws since then.
This year’s neighbourly meeting will provide a first outing under new Bulldogs coach James Ford, who has been reunited with Reynolds after working with him at Featherstone.
The 31-year-old’s former clubs also include Castleford, Leigh, Wakefield and Hull KR (in addition he played for Hull FC on loan), and Ford said: “He is a quality player who will excite teammates, our supporters and sponsors.”
Wakefield product and ex-Bradford player Walshaw is a proven performer.
The 33-year-old made his senior debut with Trinity in 2011 and has topped 120 games for the Bulldogs.
Those appearances include the 2022 Championship Grand Final loss at Leigh.
Batley and Walshaw also made the play-offs in 2021, going down to Toulouse in a semi-final in France.
But since then, the Bulldogs have finished successively seventh, tenth and twelfth, and are looking for a resurgence under former York and Featherstone coach Ford, who has dipped into the amateur game to recruit Paul Couch as his assistant after his impressive work with Castleford side Lock Lane and England Community Lions.
Batley are currently forging closer links with nearby community clubs Birstall Victoria, Batley ARLFC, Shaw Cross Sharks – where Bruines played as a junior before joining the Wakefield Academy – Wyke, Thornhill Trojans, Dewsbury Celtic and Dewsbury Moor.
Meanwhile the club say the first use of their upgraded floodlight system for a recent match between Dewsbury Moor’s Under-16 girls’ team and a touring Wanderers Australia side was a success.