Mark Moxon expecting tight encounter for Batley Bulldogs at Widnes Vikings

The Vikings have lost three of their previous four games, albeit they were all narrow defeats against the Championship’s current top three in Toulouse (20-28), Wakefield (18-20) and Sheffield (30-21).

Over the course of their last seven games, four close wins over Bradford (14-13), Doncaster (16-14), and York (22-18) have yielded a positive points difference of just seven. They also drew 28-28 with Whitehaven.

And Moxon believes it will be a similar affair at the DCBL Stadium at the weekend, although he wants his players to keep an eye out for former Bulldogs star Tom Gilmore.

He said: “That is what I am expecting this week. For me there is no surprise in that they have just narrowly won games.

“I think that is because of the guy who is steering the ship there in Tom Gilmore. He is a very smart player who knows how to play the game and the processes of rugby league. That is what he has taken to Widnes this year. I think this is the first year he has had where he has been relatively injury free and he has been massive for them.

“He guides them around the field. We know how good he is after what he did when he was with us at our place. He knows how to build a game and he knows how to manage a game.

“He has been great for them. He is a massive player for them and someone we need to take care of on Sunday.”

One Batley player who won’t be able to help take care of Gilmore is Lucas Walshaw, who misses his second successive game with an AC injury.

Moxon said: “He picked up an AC injury the week before. He was a massive loss for us (against Toulouse). He is a big body himself, that’s what we needed against a big Toulouse side.

“We missed him but I thought (Kieran) Buchanan did a good job in that back row. He covered well.

“It is likely we will miss him for another week or so, so we will have to manage without him.”

Club captain James Brown made his 200th appearance for the Bulldogs in the defeat against Toulouse last weekend.

“He has been a real trooper for the club and a real servant to Batley,” Moxon said. “He is the kind of player that no opposition likes playing against.

“He’s big, he’s mean and he’s angry. No one likes playing against him. He’s been great for us in the years I have been there.

“He is a presence, he’s a character in the group and he certainly demands respect.”