Halifax Panthers look to start the season as they mean to go on in Championship opener

The Betfred Championship comes back with a bang as the Halifax Panthers travel to face the Batley Bulldogs, with both sides looking to kickstart their season on a positive note.

With the threat of Omicron potentially putting another year of sport in danger, it is hard to predict how the 2022 Rugby League season will look in the long run, but for now, it is all systems go. The Panthers’ first game sees them making the short trip over to Mount Pleasant (Fox’s Biscuit Stadium), home of the Batley Bulldogs.

It will also be the fans’ first chance to see Simon Grix’s newest recruits in a competitive setting, following two positive pre-season friendlies against strong Super League opposition.

The game comes with much anticipation as the Panthers and Batley both ended the 2021 season on 26 points, with Halifax finishing higher due to a superior score difference.

The Bulldogs’ Coach Craig Lingard was voted the 2021 Coach of the Year so he will be wanting to start the season on the back of that with a win.

Batley goes into the game with a win against Championship rivals Bradford Bulls.

During the closed season, The Bulldogs have added six players to bolster their squad ahead of the 2022 campaign. Lingard has acquired the services of highly-rated winger Perry Whitley from York City Knights as well as versatile half-back James Meadows and exciting centre Josh Hodson from the London Broncos.

Josh Milthorpe and Louis Collinson have also made their way into the Bulldogs’ setup from the Castleford Tigers academy and are both exciting prospects for the future. Batley have also been successful in the signing of Oli Burton from Leeds Rhinos following a brief loan spell in 2021.

The teams met twice last season with each club taking one win apiece. Both teams will be eager to get the first points of the campaign and start the season as they mean to go on.

Both teams bowed out of the Betfred Championship play-offs at the Semi-Final stage following level 13-8 winning records in the regular season so as such appear to be on a relatively level playing field.

With the teams eager to start the season on a high and showcase their hard work from pre-season, will the home advantage work in Batley’s favour or can the Panthers ‘claw’ their way to a victory and kick start their season?

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