For the first time in their careers, the Batchelor brothers – James and Joe – will face off in a Hull derby, as champions Hull KR take on Hull FC.
The pair have faced off numerous times in the past, most recently in last season’s round 24 tie between KR and St Helens. Younger brother James took the bragging rights that evening, as KR took a 12-8 win – and he will be hoping to take the spoils yet again on Good Friday.
The 27-year-old spoke to the press to preview the derby, and a key angle was the fact he’d be facing his older sibling, and could even be lining up directly against him.
Both back rowers, FC’s Joe Batchelor has returned from injury in time for this game after being absent since round two.
“I don’t know, someone’s ignoring my texts so I’m not too sure on that one. He must have blocked me I think,” said KR’s James when asked if he knew if Joe would be playing.
“I hope he does play. I hope he gets to experience the whole derby this week because they are special. They’re like nothing that I’ve never been part of before so I really want him to experience that, but ultimately I want him to be on the losing side of that as well.”
On those occasions the pair do face off on opposite teams, it is a huge and proud moment for the family, however it doesn’t come without it’s pre-match nerves.
“My dad loves it and my mum hates it so you have that sort of family bit to it as well,” Batchelor revealed.
“I’ll get a text from my dad this week I reckon saying ‘there’s no way you can let these boys turn up and beat you at your place’ and my brother will get a text saying ‘there’s no way you can go there and let them beat you in their own back garden’, then my mum will text us saying ‘make sure you look after your brother out there’. She always says play nicely but he doesn’t always go that way.
“When he first signed I told him ‘it’s pretty special, I’m glad you get to experience it’, but we’ve not talked too much and we probably won’t talk too much more.”
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In a feat that is quite rare for a forward, Batchelor has actually scored in the last three Good Friday derbies, including last year’s 28-14 victory at the MKM Stadium.
He explained: “I’ve scored a couple in there, I didn’t realise they were all the Good Friday ones because I know there were two games last year, I couldn’t remember which weekend they were but yeah I’ve scored a couple in them.”
Asked what his secret is, he added: “I don’t know, I think it’s probably more likely that I’m in the right place at the right time.
“I think a couple of them might have just been supporting breaks and stuff like that so I just make a showing in the picture really.”
