Batley Bulldogs developing blueprint for success – Peter Smith

Not much doubt about that, it surely has to be ... Batley Bulldogs.

In fact, it would be hard to look beyond the West Yorkshire part-timers as one of the most successful sides of the 21st century so far.

Success is relative and though Batley can’t match the likes of Leeds Rhinos, Wigan Warriors or St Helens for the number of trophies won, they have achieved the objective set at the start of every season, and how many clubs can say that?

With resources strictly limited, Bulldogs’ initial goal is always to retain their place in the Championship and that is something they have managed ever since three divisions were introduced in 2003.

They have flirted with relegation at times, but have often punched well above their weight, particularly in 2010 when they beat Widnes Vikings in a memorable Northern Rail Cup final at Blackpool.

Three years later, they reached the second-tier Grand Final, losing to Sheffield Eagles and, in 2016, were the country’s top semi-professional team, finishing third in the Championship table and qualifying for the middle-eights competition.

Bulldogs have developed the knack, on and off the field, of making the very best of what they have got.

St Helens signed England prop Alex Walmsley from Batley and winger Jermaine McGillvary, of Huddersfield Giants, is another Test star who cut his teeth playing for Bulldogs.

Mount Pleasant isn’t the most appropriately named venue in the Northern Union, but it has come into its own in the summer era, now that temperatures on match days sometimes rise above freezing.

The famous, or notorious, slope remains, but a great deal of effort has gone into transforming the ground into one of the neatest in the lower divisions, which is a considerable achievement considering it hosted matches during the sport’s debut season in 1895.

Batley have had a succession of astute coaches during the summer era – including Gary Thornton, Karl Harrison and John Kear – and current boss Craig Lingard is doing a fine job. After 18 of the Championship’s 22 rounds, Bulldogs are fifth in the table, with 12 wins – a success rate of more than 66 per cent.

They are on course for a place in the play-offs and the threat of relegation was banished months ago.

One argument in favour of promotion is without it, clubs outside the top tier have nothing to play for.

Batley have no pretensions to be a Super League club; under chairman Kevin Nicholas they are content to operate as a well-run outfit who know their level and manage to be competitive while living within their means.

A lot of others, including some in the elite competition, could learn from how Batley do things, but does one of the sport’s oldest clubs have a long-term future?

At the moment, Lingard is trying to assemble a squad for 2022 and beyond without knowing for certain what the league format will be.

A proposal for 14 teams in Super League next year, reduced to two divisions of 10 after that, appears to be off the table for the moment.

But there may still be a temptation for some clubs to fork out more than they can afford in 2022, to ensure they make the cut if the two-tens idea does happen.

That is almost inevitably a recipe for disaster.

On this year’s results, Batley are ahead of the likes of London Broncos, York City Knights, Widnes Vikings and Newcastle Thunder but, if it comes to some sort of franchise system, such clubs – either because of past success or big town/city potential – would be more likely to get the nod.

There are real fears about where clubs like Batley will stand in what seems to be an increasingly uncertain future for the sport at full– and part-time level and that is a shame.

What is for sure is rugby league would be poorer without them. History, tradition and just doing things right has to count for something.

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