‘They somehow manage to go under the radar every year’ - James Ford not underestimating Batley Bulldogs in Featherstone Rovers’ Championship season opener

The Bulldogs have already entertained Fev in the build-up to the 2024 league campaign, claiming a thrilling 15-14 1895 Cup group stage victory over Ford’s men at the start of last month.

And Ford is fully aware of Batley’s threats ahead of the curtain-raiser to the new season.

He said: “They are a good team. They somehow manage to go under the radar every year, but not to us. They are well coached, they have some good players and they are currently hard to beat at their place.

“We know we will have to be right at the top of our game to give ourselves a chance of winning the game.

“They don’t surprise me. Every year they surpass some people’s expectations. Some people’s, not mine. They are a good team and I know they will really challenge us at the weekend.”

Batley’s head coach, Mark Moxon, who watched Fev join his side in the sixth round of the Challenge Cup after the dramatic 14-10 golden point extra time victory over Wakefield last weekend, is expecting another close game between the two sides.

He said: “I am expecting the same as what we got last time. I think it will probably go down to the wire.

“It will be two good teams slogging at it and I just hope we can fetch our defensive application to the game that we showed against Widnes in the second half and express ourselves when we have got the ball.”

Asked if he saw Fev’s Challenge Cup winning result coming, Moxon responded:

“I did to be fair when I saw the conditions. I watched the game live on the TV and when I saw the field I thought it was a bit of a leveller.

“It was just a war of attrition. Fair play to Featherstone, they just hung in there and when they got their chance they took it. That field was a leveller and it came more about will and desire as opposed to quality.”