Rampant Dewsbury Rams thrash Batley Bulldogs to claim Heavy Woollen bragging rights

The Good Friday clash turned into a great Friday for the Rams, who celebrated only their second league win over the Bulldogs in nine attempts - and a first at home since 2018 - thanks to tries from Curtis Davies, Perry Whiteley and a double from Jack Billington.

Bailey O’Connor was instrumental throughout at full-back, as the Rams finally got off the mark in the calendar year after defeats to Keighley Cougars and Bradford Bulls in the 1895 Cup, York Knights in the Challenge Cup and Halifax Panthers in the opening league game of the season.

And it was their arch rivals Batley who felt their wrath, with the defeat leaving them searching for their first points of the new Championship campaign.

There was no sign of the impending damage Dewsbury were about to cause though, as Mark Moxon’s men started the stronger of the two.

They penned the Rams into their own half and forced errors as well as two goal line drop outs. All in the first 15 minutes.

But they could not make their early dominance count. And the home side cashed in when the visitors made their first error.

O’Connor, tipped for bright future in the game, showed classed beyond his youthful years to spring clear of a bewildered Batley defence and played in the supporting Davies who finished with aplomb.

Bearing in mind Batley’s supremacy in the early stages - as well as their resounding success in this fixture over recent years - you would expect more of a response than what materialised.

James Brown and Michael Ward entered enthusiastically into the action from the bench but the Bulldogs failed to land a punch on a now compact and resolute Dewsbury defence.

It was beginning to spice up without the ball in play as well, as scuffles began to surface before the half time hooter.

One player keeping his cool though was O’Connor who did brilliantly well to find Whiteley but the winger could not grasp the ball cleanly and the final chance of the half vanished and the Rams had to settle for just a 6-0 lead as the hooter sounded.

The second half commenced where it left off at the end of the first, with tempers fraying. Dane Manning and Kieran Rush, with the Rams from Huddersfield Giants as part of their dual registration arrangement, were both sent to the sin bin for their part in a fracas behind the posts. More importantly, the Rams received a penalty and Calum Turner extended the lead with the boot.

And the home fans were celebrating even louder moments later as they adjusted to having 12 men the best with Whiteley producing a superb interception 80 metres out to run unopposed and touch down.

The Rams were leading 12-0, just as they were when the sides last met in the Boxing Day fixture a few months ago. Batley came back to draw that 12-12.

But there was no chance of a repeat of that when Whiteley and Ollie Greensmith combined to allow Billington, also from the Giants, to crash over from close range.

It got even better for the Rams, and worse for the Bulldogs, raced through a gaping gap, with Turner’s kick making it 24-0.

Adam Gledhill was then sent to the sin bin to compound Batley’s misery, although Joe Burton got the visitors on the board right at the death, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Rams from claiming a superb derby day triumph.

Dewsbury: O'Connor, Whiteley, Greensmith, M Walker, Carr, Hookem, Turner, Beckett, Davies, Bibby, Garside, Dawson, Collinson

Interchanges: Rush, Billington, Dixon, Hird

Tries: Davies, Whiteley, Billington (2)

Conversations: Turner (3)

Penalties: Turner

Batley: Butterworth, Morton, Buchanan, Mitsias, J Burton, White, D Gibbons, Gledhill, Leak, Cooper, Manning, Walshaw, Moore

Interchanges: O Burton, Senior, J Gibbons, Ward

Tries: J Burton