Batley Bulldogs v Dewsbury Rams: Derby day will be learning curve for Greenwood

It will be Lee Greenwood’s debut as Rams boss and he is keen to see how his new-look squad is coming together.

Greenwood admitted: “If I was a couple of years into the job I’d be saying I am not that fussed, but with the little I have seen of the lads at first hand I am looking forward to seeing what people can do.

“The sooner we know what is working and what we need to improve at, the better.”

The Rams coach admitted the Championship will be a big step up for many of his squad and their pre-season games will be about getting to that level.

He added: “There’s a crop that have been there in previous seasons and then almost double that amount who have come in.

“We’ve not had too much team bonding, we’ve just literally been training.

“Quite a number of the new players have come from League One clubs so it is a case of getting people up to speed and seeing where they are for a tough Championship season.

“We’ve had a good start to the training part and the next bit is seeing people playing in action so I am quite happy having these games.”

Bulldogs, in contrast, are looking to build on two positive seasons under their coach Matt Diskin.

“We are progressing quite well,” he said of pre-season so far.

“We are way ahead of where we’ve been the last couple of years.

“The additions we’ve made have added competition and professionalism we’ve not had before and I delighted with where we are.”

The Roy Powell Trophy will be up for grabs on Wednesday in memory of the former Leeds, Bradford, Featherstone and Batley forward who died 20 years ago on Thursday, aged just 33.

Diskin stressed: “We want to win.

“It is a Boxing Day derby and it is in memory of an amazing man.

“For us to approach it just trying to get through injury-free would be disrespectful to him.

“We want to compete and come away with a win.”