Batley Bulldogs: Diskin delivers selection ultimatum

Bulldogs have lost two of their first three games in the Kingstone Press Championship, sandwiching an impressive home win over Halifax with poor displays against Toulouse Olympique and Featherstone Rovers.

Diskin, who took charge in the closed season, has warned his players they must improve. He said: “I am trying to get them to play a different brand of rugby this year.

“We are not seeing it at the moment, mainly because of our ill-discipline – head high tackles and poor tackle technique.

“It is frustrating because we get into good field position and then gift them the ball back straight away.

“No matter what kind of rugby you are trying to play, it is hard to do it when you haven’t got the ball and you give field position away as easily as we are doing at the moment.

“We have got some great individuals, but we’ve got to start playing as a team more. We need to get back to basics and doing them well. If the current team I am picking can’t do it, I have got a big enough squad to find the right combination to do it going forward.”

Diskin said Adam Gledhill is now available after injury and Joel Farrell, who also had off-season surgery, is hoping to be given the all-clear this week.