‘Hopefully we can get there on time’ - Craig Lingard hopeful of no disruptions for Batley Bulldogs ahead of long trip to Whitehaven

Lingard’s men were forced into a last-minute change of venue in their televised Monday night game against Barrow Raiders when “technical issues” at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium meant the contest – which Batley won 24-12 – had to be played at the home of Heavy Woollen neighbours Dewsbury Rams.

And Lingard is hopeful there will be no hiccups in this weekend’s preparations against a side who he believes will be “very, very confident” following an excellent result at York City Knights last weekend.

He said: “They will be confident based on the fact they’ve had a really good away victory at York. I would imagine most people would have looked at that game and thought York were going to win that but you don’t win games on paper.

“Whitehaven have done a job on them and got the victory. They will be very, very confident on the back of that victory.

“You look at any fixture and they can all be considered as tough but you look at the games they have lost (away at Bradford Bulls, Featherstone Rovers and Toulouse), they have played some of the top sides in the division, as the division sits now.

“It’s certainly not going to be an easy game because none of these games are. Hopefully we will have no issues with the coach travel up there and we can get there on time!”

Whitehaven also secured a victory against Swinton Lions earlier in the season, who beat the Bulldogs in round two. On how the Championship has started, Lingard said:

“The league positions last season were done and dusted with six games left. Relegation and the play-off positions were confirmed.

“Whereas this year, every single game is going to be difficult to predict. I think the final positions for the play-offs and relegation will probably go right until the last weekend of the season, with potentially teams changing positions on that last game of the season.

“Every game means something this year and that is how it should be and that is what makes the Championship a really exciting competition.”