Thursday Night Rugby League

By The Man

Keighley v Batley



Thursday 25th March 19:30 GMT
Sky Sports 3 (19:30-22:00), Sky Sports HD3 (19:30-22:00)

This week's offering from Sky pitches the two teams rooted to the bottom of the Championship. Never the less an intriguing game awaits.

Keighley were cast iron certainties for relegation following their play-off promotion even before they were hit with the cruel blow of going in to administration. That has cost them a deduction of nine points and with it any slight hope they may have had. Obviously they have financial constraints but they have failed to sufficiently strengthen their squad. The jump between the two Championship divisions is getting wider and wider and you really need a big recruitment campaign of quality ala Barrow last season.

That said, they seem to be doing the best they possibly can on the field with their limited resources. They have qualified through the group stages of the Northern Rail cup although the league campaign has only yielded one bonus point. It was a case of welcome to the big boys when they traveled to Widnes for their opening fixture and they were well and truly thrashed. They have followed that with a comprehensive home defeat to much improved Leigh sandwiched between two much more creditable defeats to Toulouse, home and away, one of those fixtures in the Challenge Cup.

As for Batley, following their much improved second half of last season, big things were expected. For some, they were dark horses to put up a title challenge. They also have had a successful Northern Rail cup campaign with qualification from the group but similarly the league campaign has hit a stuttering start. They lost the opener at Featherstone by a wide margin and gave Halifax too much of a start before launching a spirited comeback last time out. They have had the benefit of a week off and with it extra preparation whilst Keighley have had the hindrance of a trip back from France.

On the team news front for Keighley Brendon Rawlins (shoulder) and Scott Law (groin) are out but George Rayner should play after going off injured against Toulouse.

So to the betting. There have been signs in the fixtures against Toulouse and to a lesser degree against Leigh that Keighley aren't going to be totally outclassed at least in the short term. Coach Barry Eaton will be sure to have his side fired up in front of the cameras and they will see this Batley fixture as a winnable game. I'm not too convinced about that but I do feel they can compete. Add in the fact that there has been a deluge of rain overnight in West Yorkshire and we have factors leaning towards a close game. I'm sure Batley will be content with any type of win and the reasons are adding up to say that the 14pts on offer is too high. I had this one as Batley by 8-10pts so it's a wager for me, without getting carried away.
 
Pick: Keighley +14 2pts @ 1.91 with Betfred
 
The Man