Kingstone Press Championship Preview: Batley Bulldogs v Leigh Centurions

Correspondent

Batley Bulldogs coach John Kear has challenged his players to finish as high as possible in the Kingstone Press Championship.

The Bulldogs are just four points above the relegation zone, but last week’s 28-18 win against Sheffield has boosted Kear’s confidence.

He said: “We needed a response after Featherstone and we certainly got it. We played very smart.

“Leigh are going to be very tough, but we know what we need to do over the course of the next five games.

“It isn’t just about staying in the division; it’s about attempting to secure a good position in the play-offs.”

Michael Platt could make his Leigh Centurions debut, but coach Paul Rowley will not make a final decision until later in the week.

Rowley said: “Putting 72 points past a team last week means those players involved are making it difficult to be ignored this week.

“Michael’s available immediately, but I’m not sure whether he’ll play or not this week.”

On Batley, Rowley added: “If we think they’re going to be the team that played us in Round One, we’d be very, very foolish.

“They’ve gradually moulded a strong team this year and we’re fully aware of the capabilities, but if we can emulate last week’s performance then we’ll be OK.”