T’Other Side: Batley Bulldogs

T’Other Side: Batley Bulldogs

LAST TIME OUT

Head Coach Matt Diskin

Matt Diskin was took over as head coach of the Bulldogs at the beginning of last season, following in the footsteps of John Kear who had held the post for 5 years. It is Diskin’s first post as a head coach although he did take charge briefly of Bradford Bulls in a caretaker capacity in 2014 between the sacking of Francis Cummins and the appointment of James Lowes.

As a player he was a renowned hooker starting his career in 2001 with Leeds Rhinos. He stayed with the Rhinos for ten seasons making 264 appearances. In 2011 he moved to Bradford Bulls making 86 appearances before retiring at the end of 2014. He also played Great Britain, England, England A and Yorkshire.

Co-Captains: Dominic Brambani and Pat Walker

Dominic Brambani is now in his 15th year as a professional rugby league player. His career started at Castleford in 2004 and has subsequently signed for Halifax, Sheffield (two spells) and Dewsbury, before moving to Batley last year. That looks like an entire career with Yorkshire clubs but in 2009 he spent a season playing for Hinterland Storm in Queensland. He is a goal kicker but has rarely been first choice. However, in 2013 he kicked 168 goals for Sheffield. In 2003 Brambani captained the Great Britain Student team on a tour of Australia.

Pat Walker is now in his 3rd season with Batley. His career began with Dewsbury Rams in 2007. After six seasons at Dewbury, he spent three at Sheffield Eagles. He usually plays at either stand-off or loose forward and is a prolific goal kicker having passed 600 career goals last year.

New Signings

Lewis Galbraith is a young centre who shows a lot of promise. He made his début for Rochdale as a 19 year old in 2014. At the end of last season Rochdale hit financial problems and the players had to take wage cuts and he decided to make the move over the pennine to Batley. Originally he was signed on a one year contract but he has really impressed and that contract has already been extended. Tommy Holland is a forward who was at Leigh as a junior but never got to play in their first team. In 2016 he had a loan spell at North Wales Crusaders and then signed for Coventry Bears. Last season he was at Whitehaven. Michael Ward spent six seasons at Oldham before signing for Batley. He usually plays at prop and frequently starts on the bench. In the last two years he has been a stand-out player when Fev travelled to Oldham.

Stand-out players

Tall second rower (6’5”), James Harrison, is only 21 years old but seems destined for a stellar career. He was signed by Batley for the 2016 season having previously played for Bradford Bulls U19s. He has a good rugby league pedigree being the son of Karl Harrison and nephew of current Batley Chief Executive Paul Harrison. In 2016 he also played for Oxford on dual registration. Having transferred from Halifax to Batley in June 2015, winger Wayne Reittie has been the Bulldogs leading try scorer in each of the last three seasons. He started with Doncaster in 2008 and moved to home club Hunslet during the following year. He has also played for York and had a year with Batley in 2011. He is a Jamaican international. Prop Forward, Alex Rowe, started with Castleford in 2005 and had a rather nomadic early career playing for Gateshead, Doncaster and Sheffield before settling down with Batley since signing in 2013. Although he has often been used as a sub but this season has been regularly in the starting team.

Loan Players

The only loanee currently at Batley is Izaak Farrell who is a Huddersfield Giants player. Last season he had a loan spell with Swinton Lions. He is a halfback.

The Fev connection

There is a long history of players who have played for both Batley and Fev.

In the Batley squad there are six players who have played for Fev. Jason Crookes who had a loan spell with Fev from Hull FC in 2014. Tom Hemingway, who plays at either hooker or halfback, was a Fev player in 2011 although he only played three games. Although not the Bulldogs first choice kicker he is the joint holder of the world record for goals kicked in a match having kicked 22 out of 22 attempts for Blackpool Panthers in a 132-0 defeat of Gateshead Thunder in 2010. Dane Manning came to Fev on a season long loan from Leeds in 2010. Fullback, Dave Scott, began his professional career with Rovers in 2013 but only played one game. He then moved to Doncaster before joining Batley in 2016. He has played 11 matches for Scotland. Unlike the others, Sam Smeaton was a regular in the Fev team from 2009 to 2012 before suffering a serious long term injury. He played 88 times for Fev and scored 41 tries. Finally, Dominic Brambani (see above under 'Captain'), had a loan spell with Fev in 2005 when he was a Cas player.

There are six players in the Fev squad who have played for Batley. John Davies was at Batley in 2013 and 2014, and Tom Holmes had an 8 match loan spell from Castleford with them last year. Frankie Mariano also had a loan spell from Cas in 2016. Chris Ulugia went to Batley on loan from Bradford in 2015 and spent the whole of 2016 with them on a season-long loan. Jason Walton was at Batley for four years from 2010 to 2013 and Matty Wildie had an 11 match loan period there from Wakefield in 2012.

As previously mentioned, Batley player, James Harrison, is the son of England and Great Britain international Karl Harrison who played for Fev from 1985 to 1989.