Batley Bulldogs coach Craig Lingard’s still working out his first-choice starting line-up

Bulldogs have two more trial games, against Hull and Huddersfield Giants, before their competitive season begins at home to Featherstone Rovers on Sunday, February 2.

Lingard’s side drew with Betfred Championship rivals Dewsbury Rams on Boxing Day and lost 16-12 at League One outfit, Hunslet, last weekend.

They are at home to Hull in three days’ time and Lingard insisted: “These friendlies are going to be used for a purpose; I am not going to start every friendly with my strongest 17.

“I don’t know what my strongest 17 is yet and that is what these games are for, to try people in different positions and different combinations.

“When we come into that first game I will have an idea of what my starting 17 is going to be.

“That might mix and match; it might take two or three games to get to know a little bit more about the players.”

Lingard took some positives from the visit to South Leeds Stadium, despite Batley’s 16-12 defeat.

“I thought we controlled the game for the first quarter and did what we set out to do, which was to play with some ruck speed and some aggression and width,” he said.

“But, after that first 20 minutes, we went off our game plan and started conceding too many penalties and late-tackle penalties as well.

“It killed us. You do four or five tackles and then you have another defensive set and that impacts our effectiveness with the ball in hand.”

Lingard, who has taken over from Matt Diskin, admitted: “We definitely need to be smarter in the decisions we make defensively towards the end of the set – especially when you have won the set and all you need to do is let them kick, reclaim it and come back with the ball in hand.

“We lost a little bit of intensity after that first 20 minutes and – against anyone in Championship and League One – if you get out-enthused, that will put the opposition in the ascendency.”