PREVIEW: SWINTON LIONS V BATLEY BULLDOGS
06 July 2019
Here’s the latest preview against Batley Bulldogs…
Swinton Lions host Batley Bulldogs at Heywood Road in a battle of 9th vs 10th in the Betfred Championship.
Round 20 will see battle for 9th place, with the Lions and the Bulldogs only separated by points difference.
Here’s the latest preview…
FORM GUIDE
Stuart Littler’s sit 10th in the Betfred Championship table and enjoyed two wins in June and aim to look up in the ladder in the competition.
Most recently, the side took the victory in the local derby against Rochdale Hornets.
With the derby dating back to 1871, Rochdale are the oldest opponents in the history of the Lions, and it was Swinton who claimed the two-league points.
Matty Ashton claimed the fan’s vote for Man of the Match with thanks to his two tries, whilst teammates Mike Butt, Jack Hansen, Scott Moore and Jack Wells also crossed for four-pointers.
The Lions also enjoyed four new extensions this week.
Wigan Warriors forward Samy Kibula agreed a new one-month extension on his loan, whilst Welsh international Gavin Bennion and Frankie Halton agreed new deals for the 2020 season. Winger Mike Butt also agreed a new two-year deal with the club.
The Bulldogs most recently faced table-toppers Toronto Wolfpack at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium, with the Canadian side claiming a 40-10 victory.
Matt Diskin’s side will also feature in the semi-finals of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup, facing Sheffield Eagles at the Olympic Legacy Park on Sunday July 28th.
Both sides have enjoyed six wins so far this season, with just points difference separating the teams.
https://twitter.com/Swinton_Lions/status/1145382906237505541
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Lions’ last home victory against the Bulldogs was a 26-18 Championship win at Leigh Sports Village on 1 April, 2012.
Matty Ashton was the star of the show for the Lions when the two sides last met on Easter Monday, despite a 32-18 defeat.
The talented youngster crossed for a hat-trick and quickly established himself as a try-scoring threat in the competition.
TEAM NEWS
Jake Shorrocks joins Littler’s squad for the first time since 2016 from 2018 Super League champions Wigan Warriors.
Scott Moore scored his first try for the Lions against Rochdale, as the team look almost unchanged.
LIONS SQUAD TO FACE BULLDOGS: Ashton, Bennion, Brickhill, Butt, Byrne, Fairclough, Gray, Halton, Hansen, Hatton, P.Jones, Kenga, Kibula, Lloyd, Moore, Mullen, Shorrocks, Waterworth, Wells.
BULLDOGS SQUAD TO FACE LIONS: Scott, Smeaton, Galbraith, Jouffret, Gledhill, Leak, Manning, Brown, Yates, Ward, Dickinson, Bretherton, Walker, Taira, Wood, Tomlinson, Brearley, Broadbent, Butterworth.
