Harrison to shake up squad for cup clash
By Trevor Watson
BATLEY Bulldogs are facing a shake-up for their Carnegie Challenge Cup third round tie against unknown opponents in Leeds Metropolitan University at Mount Pleasant on Sunday (2pm).
Coach Karl Harrison was far from happy when the Bulldogs lost their unbeaten record with a surprisingly heavy 36-10 defeat at Featherstone last Sunday and warned: “There will be changes.”
The loan trio from Huddersfield Giants will not come into the reckoning because of the danger of them being Cup-tied but Harrison stressed that if they had been available they would have played. He added: “We have to shake the team up, people who did not perform last Sunday will not be in the side this weekend.
“We have looked at the video and tried to put a few things right in training this week. There are a few bruised egos but we learned a lot more from a defeat against a good side than piling up the points against moderate opposition. If we work extremely hard we have a realistic chance of finishing in the top six and can’t afford these lapses, we were never in the hunt.”
Harrison made it clear he was not complaining about the lack of effort but he said that too many members of the side did not perform and went on: “We played a bit soft and we haven’t been like that since I’ve been here. I won’t be messed about.”
Asked to pick out any good performers from Sunday he said he felt that forwards James Martin and David Tootill had done well off the bench and that prop Jason Walton had played particularly well and he also scored his first try for the club.
The only other try came from full-back Jonny Campbell, who took his tally for the season to seven, but Batley’s concern will be the defence, which was far too easily carved open by Featherstone, who had the game sewn up at half-time when they led 24-0. The setback was a clear warning as to how competitive the Championship will be this time.
The Bulldogs have no injury problems for Sunday and back row man Tommy Gallagher is in full training following his back injury so Harrison is in a position to make some of the changes he feels are necessary.
Leeds Met are relatively unknown in that they do not compete in the usual amateur circles. They play mainly midweek in the Student League and have been a prominent club in that competition for years and won it many times. They have had some notable players, hailing from all over the country with some, of course, having rugby union experience.
They are coached by former Leeds and Bramley half-back Paul Fletcher, who has been heavily involved with the student game for some time.
Last night Harrison helped out his former amateur club Drighlington and tested his own players when the squads from the two clubs had an all-out contact training session at Mount Pleasant.
Drig, of course, are at Dewsbury Rams in the Challenge Cup and their coach, former well-known second row man Chris Burton, wanted his charges to be given a work-out to get an idea of the extra pace of the professional game.
Harrison explained: “Chris is a very good friend of mine, I have known him for years, and this seemed a good opportunity for us both to put a bit of something extra into our match preparation.”
The Bulldogs’ final Northern Rail Cup group fixture at Gateshead Thunder has been arranged for Tuesday, March 16. This fits in well as Batley play Halifax in the league the previous Thursday (March 11) and their next game is also a TV fixture at Keighley on March 25, so they will have a break.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Batley
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -4 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South
