MIDLANDS HURRICANES and Batley Bulldogs will make a small piece of history on Sunday when they face each other for the first time in the history of the two clubs at Avery Fields in a game that kicks off at 2.30pm.
Of course Batley are a long established club, having won the inaugural Challenge Cup in 1897, while the Hurricanes are the new kids on the block, having started their professional life at Coventry Bears in 2015.
The Hurricanes have won two out of their three opening fixtures and earned a good 28-14 away victory at Goole Vikings last Saturday.
They make one change from the squad that faced the Vikings, with Elliot Morris dropping out and Ethan Newboult returning to the squad.
The Bulldogs have played two games, winning one of them, but going down last Sunday 12-16 in a tightly contested home game against Doncaster.
The Bulldogs also make one change to their 21-man squad, with centre Wesley Bruines returning to replace Jack Hudson.
SQUADS
Hurricanes: 1 Todd Horner, 2 Matty Chrimes, 3 Ryan Johnson, 5 Luis Roberts, 7 Lewis Else, 8 Jon Luke Kirby, 9 Aiden Roden, 10 Tyler Dickinson, 11 Tom Wilkinson, 12 Oliver Roberts, 13 Mikey Wood, 14 Brandon Moore, 16 Zeus Silk, 17 Kieran Moran, 18 Owen Restall, 19 Sully Medforth, 20 Toby Warren, 21 Zach Jebson, 26 Ethan Newboult, 27 Louis Beattie, 28 Isaac Shaw
Outs: 15 Elliot Morris
Ins: 26 Ethan Newboult
Bulldogs: 1 Robbie Butterworth, 2 Joe Burton, 3 Ollie Greensmith, 4 Wesley Bruines, 6 Ben Reynolds, 7 Josh Woods, 9 Alistair Leak, 10 Luke Cooper, 11 Dane Manning, 12 Lucas Walshaw, 13 Robson Stevens, 14 Ben White, 15 Nyle Flynn, 16 Michael Ward, 17 Liam Kirk, 18 Evan Hodgson, 19 Jonah Parsons, 21 Luca Atkinson, 25 Akim Metvejev, 26 Derrell Olpherts, 33 Will Oakes
Outs: 20 Jack Hudson
Ins: 4 Wesley Bruines
Referee: Adam Williams
STATS
No previous meetings
DANE MANNING needs one appearance to reach 400 for his career.
- 246 for Batley Bulldogs (2011, 2017-2026)
– 129 for Halifax (2012-2016)
– 23 for Featherstone Rovers (2010)
– 1 for Leeds Rhinos (2009)