In-form Bradford Bulls run riot at Batley Bulldogs to make it five Championship wins on spin

The Bulldogs were run ragged by their West Yorkshire neighbours - who made it five wins on the spin thanks to an eight-try display, from eight different scorers - leaving Batley with just one win from their last seven games.

Most of the damage was done in the first half through tries from Kieran Gill, Matty Gee, Logan Bayliss-Brow, Ronan Michael and Mitchel Souter, with former Batley star Luke Hooley contributing a further 12 points with the boot for a 32-6 half-time lead.

Alfie Dean added to Jack Render’s first half try right at the start of the second period, but just when it seemed the Bulldogs could muster a miracle playing down the famous Mount Pleasant slope, Tyran Ott reestablished the Bulls’ very healthy advantage before Waqa Blake and Jordan Lilley completed the rout late on.

That’s now 214 points the-now 11th placed Bulldogs have conceded in their last six outings.

Head coach Mark Moxon made two changes to the 17 which thrillingly drew 24-24 with surprising high-fliers Barrow Raiders last Sunday with Dean and Luke Cooper coming in.

But they were still missing the likes of captain James Brown, with a minor leg issue, and Lucas Walshaw, who hasn’t played a minute of 2025, from the forward pack, while Dane Manning was serving the final game of an eight-match suspension which was handed to him following his part in a mass brawl the last time these two sides met in an 1895 Cup tie here in March.

It was expected to be another fiery encounter but the only punches flying this time around were the knock-out blows Bradford inflicted on Batley with four quick-fire tries inside the opening 20 minutes.

Gill broke the deadlock when he went over in the 11th minute following great work by another former Batley player, James Meadows.

Meadows and Hooley starred for the Bulldogs in the Championship Grand Final of 2022 and the 1895 Cup final of 2023. This current line-up, despite their best efforts, look quite a way off those sides.

Gee was next to touch down two minutes later before prop Bayliss-Brow scored the game’s best try with a wonderful solo effort from just inside his own half.

Michael’s converted try then made it 24-0. It was truly one-way traffic.

Render got Batley on the board in their first attacking punt of the half after a lovely move from left to right.

But, and likely to Moxon’s and Batley’s frustrations, Bradford’s 24-point cushion was restored through Souter almost immediately. Hooley made it a 26-point cushion with a penalty on the hooter.

Batley flew out of the traps at the start of the second half with Dean taking the plaudits after another flowing move but, not for the first time today, they conceded straight away with Ott’s try.

It was a case of game management then from Brian Noble’s side as they kept the Bulldogs at bay and added two further tries in the dying embers thanks to Blake and Lilley.

The Bulldogs seemingly now have a timely week off to recover before travelling to a Featherstone Rovers side, who leapfrogged them in the Championship table thanks to a 38-16 win at Widnes Vikings, on Sunday, May 25.

Batley: Butterworth, Render, Arundel, Kear, Dean, White, Woods, Gledhill, Moore, Shaw, Greensmith, Flynn, Atkinson

Interchanges: Leak, Cooper, Ward, High

Tries: Render

Conversions: Woods

Bradford: Hooley, Okinbor, Blake, Gill, Armitage, Meadows, Lilley, Bayliss-Brow, Souter, Michael, Fulton, Gee, Hallas

Interchanges: Ott, Liu, Mason, Waine

Tries: Gill, Gee, Bayliss-Brow, Michael, Souter, Ott, Blake, Lilley

Conversions: Hooley (7)

Penalties: Hooley