Batley Bulldogs still have plenty to play for this season, insists coach Matt Diskin

Bulldogs – who visit Swinton Lions tomorrow (3pm) – are seventh in the Kingstone Press Championship, 11 points outside the top-four with only seven games remaining in the regular season.

Diskin described his side’s middle-eights prospects as a “massive outside chance”, but stressed: “We want to finish as high up the table as we can.

“If we end up in the Championship Shield [bottom-eights] that is what we will be aiming for. We want to be successful in every competition we’re in.”

Swinton are third from bottom and in a relegation battle with Dewsbury Rams. Points carry over into the eights so a win tomorrow would go a long way to ensuring Batley are not drawn into a fight against the drop, but Diskin warned: “Swinton play a really attractive brand of rugby, which probably doesn’t justify their position in the table.

“They are a threat with the ball in hand. We made some progress against Toulouse last Sunday, it was a step in the right direction, but we will have to be better this week.”

Dominic Brambani will serve a one-game ban tomorrow, but Patch Walker is set to return from a fractured wrist and Diskin said: “He offers us a lot of composure, having him back is going to be good for us.”