Batley Bulldogs' retention plans for 2021 disrupted by coronavirus outbreak

Picture by Ash Allen/SWpix.com - 19/05/2019 - Rugby League - Betfred Championship Summer Bash 2019 - Batley Bulldogs v Dewsbury Rams - Bloomfield Road, Blackpool, England.

The former Bulldogs full-back was named head coach at the club prior to the start of the 2020 campaign and had taken charge of just five matches before the sport was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It has made his decisions for what his 2021 squad will look like all the more difficult, as he is unsure who will warrant a new contract at the end of the year.

“You normally have a lot more games and a lot more time with the players to look at what they can do and what they are doing,” said Lingard.

“As a coach you identify more throughout the season what positions you are lacking in.

“We have only played five competitive league games, it is a little bit difficult to judge people.

“You are going on what you have seen in those games and in training and as a coach what you believe these players can do.

“Without the normal number of games and training sessions a lot of it is going to come down to what you have seen in the past, under a different coach or with different teams.

“That is the main issue, the lack of time you have spent with the players.”