Batley Bulldogs looking forward to welcoming ‘Super League standard’ Wakefield Trinity to the famous Mount Pleasant hill

The Bulldogs finally got off the mark in the Championship thanks to a 25-12 victory at Whitehaven last weekend and Moxon believes it will give his players “confidence and belief” against the division’s heavy favourites.

He said: “It’s a tough game this week against Wakefield so it was important we got that win on the board last week. It gives us a bit of confidence and belief going into this week and a bit of momentum in a David and Goliath task. I am sure we will give a good account of ourselves and we will see what happens.

“They are Super League standard, there is no question about that. You can see that by the fact they are full time and the amount of money they have spent and the team they have put together.

“That does take a bit of pressure off us part-time teams because the pressure is on them as they are expected to win. They have been racking up points but they have been playing on nice, wide flat fields at York, Doncaster and at Belle Vue. Batley is a little bit different. It is certainly not flat for one. We’ll look forward to the challenge of them coming to us in our own backyard.”

He added: “A lot of the players who will be coming at the weekend won’t have played at Batley before and it will be that same reaction you get when Super League teams come and they stand at the top of the hill and they’ll be like, ‘I can’t believe the size of that hill!’ We’ll get that reaction this week I’m sure!

“We have got to make it a benefit of ours and make it difficult for them and as hostile as possible.”

Before the season started Moxon picked out Wakefield’s winger Lachlan Walmsley as a one-to-watch for the 2024 Championship campaign.

And the former Halifax Panthers star has certainly not disappointed with eight tries, including two hat-tricks, in the first four games.

Moxon said: “In a team that was going to be free-flowing and on top I knew he had the try scoring ability and knew he would be made to look good in that team and that is exactly what is happening.

“He is one to watch but there is a lot that goes on that makes him stand out because he has got a good team behind him.”