No sloping off at Mount Pleasant as Batley eager to face Broncos

Even the equally famous Mount Pleasant slope and all its nefarious ways is not going to be a factor when Super League visitors arrive tomorrow.

Ordinarily, you would think that combination of factors, plus the ailing form of London Broncos, would add up to make the chances of a fifth-round upset all the more likely for Kear’s Championship Batley.

But the veteran coach, whose motivational prowess is renowned after helping Sheffield Eagles to a shock 1998 cup final win over Wigan, told the Yorkshire Post: “I’ve found it all kind of easy preparing for this game.

“The players are so excited themselves – excited to be playing a Super League side in London Broncos – that I don’t have to do too much work.

“I’m just keeping them focused; they’re doing all the emotional stuff.

“And one of the things that has impressed me most from our players since I came here is that they don’t see the slope as a factor.

“The first time you play on it it might be different and our ground might be a little strange for these Super League superstars.

“But for our lads, they just see it as going uphill for 40 minutes and downhill for 40 minutes; they’re not bothered.”

For those ‘lads’, part-time players who have spent all week working in a multitude of different jobs, the prospect of adding to Kear’s cup reputation is very real.

London may be able to recall Australian winger Michael Robertson tomorrow, an NRL Grand Final winner with Manly just last year, and they also have ex-Kangaroos scrum-half Craig Gower in their ranks.

But they still only have two Super League wins to their name this term, shipping more than 30 points per game.

Batley, meanwhile, have already progressed to the Northern Rail Cup quarter-finals courtesy of a 100 per cent record and their record so far in Kear’s first season since joining from Wakefield Trinity reads impressively at nine wins from 11 games.

“I have to be honest and, clearly, we’d have preferred to play another Championship side, like Halifax who are facing Leigh,” he added.

“But London are the lowest ranked Super League club left and we’ve got them at home.

“Again, I have to admit I thought they’d be further up the ladder this season; Craig Gower is still a great player and their talisman while Luke Dorn has hurt a lot of teams in Super League over the years.

“Then you’ve got Antonio Kaufusi, Mark Bryant (also a Manly Grand Final winner) and Chad Randall, so they have loads of experience in the front row alone while I’ve been really impressed with Chris Bailey as a back-row; he’s tough with a good off-load.

“They are talented and all things being equal they should beat us. But that’s not always the case in the cup. That’s why I love it.”

Kear, who also guided Hull FC to victory over Leeds Rhinos in 2005 and was Malcolm Reilly’s assistant when Castleford triumphed against Hull KR fully 19 years earlier, is in an enviable position too as he is picking from strength.

If Batley are to cause a surprise he needs all his guns firing so news that hooker Paul Mennell has shrugged off a dead leg suffered in Sunday’s 30-16 success at York is significant.

He plays a major role in their organisational quality while Kear anticipates dangerous centre Danny Maun will also return after a troublesome knee problem.

Exciting full-back Johnny Walker has already failed two head tests after taking a knock last week and so he remains a doubt.

But plenty of the squad featured last season when spirited Batley actually led against Huddersfield Giants 18-10 until Dane Manning’s controversial red card saw their Super League opponents fight back late on.

They also have experience of winning the Northern Rail Cup final under Karl Harrison two years ago and Kear, who replaced the ex-Great Britain prop, added: “I know we’ll have 17 guys who are very committed to this cause.

“We do need London to be off colour and we need to perform to our maximum potential.

“If we do that, we can get the result.

“We’ve had a pretty good start to the season by most peoples’ standards and there is a real buzz around the club and these players.”

London are still without ex-Hull KR winger Liam Colbon who has a shoulder injury plus Tony Clubb (groin) and David Howell (broken thumb).

French hooker Julien Rinaldi and Jason Golden will also miss the fixture but gifted stand-off Michael Witt and Karl Temata return.