This weekend it’s once again time for all the championship clubs to meet up in Blackpool for the 2018 Summer Bash.
The Rams will as ever play local rivals Batley Bulldogs in what will once again be a hotly contested game on the west coast of England. The two sides have met three times since the event was created, and the Rams have the upper hand, winning two out of the three games, losing the other one.
This is a look back at those three games.
2015
The Rams then coached by Glenn Morrison were looking forward to playing the first ever heavy woolen derby in a Summer Bash setting in Blackpool.
Whilst not a high scoring game it was very entertaining, with the Rams taking an early lead in the contest on the 14th minute when Scott Hale dived over the line. Brett Seymour was doing the conversion kicking that day and he managed to convert his first kick over.
Batley drew level as the half went on, but Seymour’s penalty kick and Aaron Brown’s try put the Rams ahead by 12-6 at half time.
Batley drew level again by the 63rd minute, but a try from Dalton Grant a kick from Seymour and a drop goal from Anthony Thackeray sealed a 19-12 win for the Rams.
2016
After the defeat of 2015, Batley were looking for revenge in 2016, and duly got it by beating the Rams 24-28.
It was Dewsbury who again started the better of the two sides on the day, with Jason Crookes and Paul Sykes putting the Rams into a quick 12-0 lead. Sykes converted both kicks to put the extra points on.
The Bulldogs were level by the 36th minute; however the Rams were determined to go into half time leading. Dale Morton scored his try of the game on the 39th minute, and Sykes converted the kick for the extras.
Sykes kicked a penalty just after half time to extend the Rams lead, but it would be the Bulldogs who would dominate the majority of the second half. They raced into a 24-20 lead by the 53rd minute, and whilst Dalton Grant’s try on the 61st minute interrupted the Bulldogs flow, it wasn’t enough as Batley went on to score a penalty and two drop goals to win the game.
2017
It was the third game of the Summer Bash heavy woolen derby and it would be the closest game yet, finishing up 13-12 in Dewsbury’s favour.
Once again the Rams took the lead through a James Glover converted penalty, there wasn’t a lot of quality in the fixture and by half time the score was only 8-4 in Batley’s favour. The Bulldogs scored two tries but no conversions, and the Rams scored two penalty kicks but no tries.
The second half wasn’t much better in terms of quality; however the Rams rallied and pulled the score back to 12-12 by the 54th minute. A drop goal by Sykes was kicked over in the 59th minute and that would be the last action of the game.
2018
The Rams are going into this game with renewed confidence after the draw away at Halifax last Sunday. Meanwhile the Bulldogs have won their last two fixtures, and won three out of their last six games.
