BATLEY Bulldogs blaze a trail to Huntington Stadium tomorrow (noon kick-off) with beleaguered York Wasps aiming to achieve what they failed to do in four attempts last season.

The Bulldogs effectively robbed the Wasps of the second division crown last year when they won every encounter between the two sides.

York and Batley have both made good starts to the season, but York's hopes of finally putting one over their old foes have been hampered by illness and injury.

Jamie Benn, Mick Crane and Lea Tichener have not trained all week after coming down with a virus, while Richard Goddard and Craig Booth only came through fitness tests last night.

It has not been the ideal preparation, and coach Dean Robinson admitted their options for bringing in new players were limited.

"There is no money available to bring anyone in as we are at the extent of our salary. We need some more off-field revenue to enable us to strengthen the squad. Even if we were to sign two or three of the amateur players I have in mind it would take finance to pay their wages, as would free agents."

"As far as loan players, those that I would consider to be of the right position and quality are not available. It is not the time of the season where players have become unsettled. It is still early in the competition and players are vying for first team slots.

"So we have what we have. It's not a great situation and makes it difficult for me because I have to guard against players thinking that average performances will do because there isn't the competition for the shirts," said Robinson, who was confident the team would not suffer from the mental problems which led to their downfall at Workington.

Darren Callaghan faces his test biggest test since turning professional after being handed the crucial scrum half shirt.

He was superb when switching to that position late on at Workington and Robinson said he deserved the chance to show what he could do in what will be the final game of first choice scrum half Andy Preston's suspension.

Prop Mike Hagan earns his first start in more than a year since breaking a collar bone before the start of last season. He has done well during his substitute appearances so far and Robinson said: "He's been a revelation as far as I'm concerned. He's exceeded everybody's expectations and deserves the number eight shirt."

Leigh Deakin declared himself unfit last night with a hamstring problem so Benn again starts on the wing despite not training all week. That leaves Robinson's only four other fit players on the bench, and all are forwards.

Booth has not trained all week and is included among the subs, as is Alan Pallister whose number nine shirt is taken by Peter Edwards. Mick Ramsden and Andy Precious amke up the subs.

Robinson said he was well aware of the dangers posed by Batley as neither side had strengthened too much since last season.

"They have a very hard-working pack, two experienced half-backs who have played together for a number of years in Richard Price and Gary Barnett and good three-quarters. They do the basics very well and support each other very well. They are very good at straight, orthodox football," he said.

Batley coach David Ward has retained the whole of last season's squad and added winger Wayne Flynn from Sheffield Eagles and forwards Gary Lord from Wakefield and John Clarke from Hunslet.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.