Race for the play-offs: Batley Bulldogs to ‘fetch A game’ for final stretch of Championship season

The Bulldogs got their play-off bid back on track with a 26-6 victory over Swinton Lions last Sunday after successive defeats against Halifax Panthers and Featherstone Rovers.

The result has left Batley in ninth, two points behind Fev who occupy that final play-off place in sixth, while Doncaster, in seventh, York, in eighth, and Halifax, in tenth, all vying to make the end of season extravaganza.

And Moxon’s men still have to face Doncaster and York, as well as Widnes Vikings (fifth), Bradford Bulls (fourth) and Toulouse (second), as the season begins to draw to a thrilling conclusion.

But first up for the Bulldogs is a tough-looking encounter at third placed Sheffield Eagles, who they beat 31-18 in June, tomorrow evening, Friday, August 16 (kick off 7.30pm).

Moxon told the Reporter Series: “Every game is difficult. We have got some tough ones to come. Toulouse away is going to be very tough. Then there’s also Bradford away and York away. There are some tough games in there.

“But anybody can beat anybody on the day and I really believe that if we fetch our A game that we can beat anybody, whether that is home or away. There is no reason why we can’t get that job done.

“But it was never meant to be easy. There are some good sides this year. Whoever gets into the top six do really deserve it, whoever that will be.”

He added: “Sheffield will be a very tough test. They’ve had a bit of an extra rest as well because they played on Friday so they will have had a bit more recovery than us.

“But we beat them at home. I don’t think they’re playing as well as they were at that time. They had the 1895 Cup final around that time. I don’t think they have been as fluent as they were in the early part of the season.

“But they are still a very good side and we are going to have to take our A game if we are to get a victory this week.”

Asked if it was that time of the season where he would be hoping for favours from other clubs, Moxon replied:

“That’s been the case now for a couple of weeks. It was a big win for us last week in terms of looking down. I think it is going to be difficult now for them three at the bottom to climb out of there. Not impossible, but very difficult.

“Now we’re looking around us and around that sixth spot because that’s the one everybody is fighting for. There are four or five teams that could get that sixth spot.

“Every week you are looking to see who could potentially do you a favour or who you want to win or lose. That’s the nature of the beast and that’s why rugby is so exciting.

“It's nice that we’re in there and fighting for that spot rather than looking down at the bottom three spots.”