‘They have got ambitions of progression’: Batley Bulldogs set to welcome Midlands Hurricanes - along with rugby league legend Eorl Crabtree - for Mount Pleasant friendly

The fixture, which kicks off at 2pm, will mark Batley’s second, and final, pre-season friendly before the competitive action starts at Newcastle Thunder the following weekend in the second round of the Challenge Cup.

And Bulldogs’ head coach Mark Moxon was full of praise for League 1 outfit Midlands, who made headlines recently when announcing Huddersfield Giants and England legend Eorl Crabtree as their managing director.

Moxon told the Reporter Series: “I think it will be a decent standard against Midlands. They are a League 1 team that are investing to get promoted to the Championship so they have got ambitions of progression.

“The news about Eorl Crabtree being the new managing director states their intention. I also know Mark Dunning pretty well and he’s a good coach.

“They are investing in the staff which transfers into investing in the players. They are a good team and it will be a decent test for us this weekend.”

Asked if he was happy with his squad as the season draws ever-nearer, Moxon replied:

“We have got a squad of 26 at the moment and with the budget we had I am happy with what we have got. It is still dead early so we don’t really know until we start playing and how the squad is going to perform.

“But pre-season has gone well, certainly the attitude and the commitment to training. It has been excellent.

“It all boils down to have we got the quality to compete in what is going to be a very difficult Championship, and only time will tell on that.”

Moxon, however, should be able to call on reinforcements from Super League side Wakefield Trinity, who are Batley’s dual registration partners.

Moxon said: “I am very excited. The quality of Wakefield’s squad is exciting for them and if they could sprinkle a bit of extra quality into our group then that will be great for us.

“They are training full time as well so when they do come they will be well prepared and that can only be good for us.”