Championship preview: Play-off chasers York Knights and Batley Bulldogs set to clash in ‘belting’ fixture

The sides are locked on 20 points apiece in the table, just two points behind Featherstone Rovers who hold the last play-off place. However, with 12 points still to play for, the chasers are only three points behind fifth-placed Widnes Vikings and four behind Bradford Bulls in fourth.

And Batley head coach Mark Moxon, who exchanged congratulation messages with York counterpart Mark Applegarth after the Bulldogs beat Sheffield and the Knights shocked Toulouse in Round 20 last weekend, believes it could be a classic at the LNER Community Stadium (kick off 3pm).

“We both said this week is going to be a belter,” Moxon told the Reporter Series. “Mash (Applegarth) texted me on Saturday morning to say well done on the win on Friday night. I wished him luck for Saturday night, although I didn’t really mean it!

“I then congratulated him on a great win. We both said this week is going to be a belter. They are a good side who invested heavily at the start of the season. Mash has done a great job since he’s come in.

“He has galvanised the group and they have turned a corner. They are a team which plays an exciting brand of rugby, on a nice field, so it all makes for a belting game.”

He added: “It is hotting up. All the chasing pack are beating the ones in the top four or five. It’s excellent and it’s a great advert for the Championship.

“All of a sudden it has tightened up a little bit. There’s still a long way to go and there’s a lot of movement that’s going to happen in the league.”

Asked if his friendship with Applegarth, who took over York in June having left Wakefield Trinity at the end of the 2023 campaign, will go out of the window for 80 minutes on Sunday, Moxon replied:

“It does. We will have a good chat when I get there. Mash played at Batley when me and John (Kear) had first come over.

“I thought it was disappointing the way he got treated at Wakefield but I am really pleased he has gone in at York at an ideal time. I have been speaking to him throughout his tough days at Wakefield and when he started at York.

“But as soon as the whistle goes, that will be it, it will be down to business and we’ll both be wanting that victory.”

Luke Hooley starred for the Bulldogs with a hat-trick in the 24-14 victory at Sheffield last Friday.

Asked if the Castleford Tigers full-back will be available for Batley for the remainder of 2024, Moxon said:

“He is available, whether Cas let us have him, that's going to be week to week. First of all it depends on Cas and if they need him for their first team. And secondly it’s between the powers that be at Batley and at Cas to see if they can come to some agreement.

“It’s complicated but my gut instinct is that they will let him come to us and that will be great for us.

“He has been very important. Luke had offers to go on loan elsewhere but Luke wanted to stay and play for us.”