BATLEY boss John Kear is putting the speculation over the vacant coaching job at Castleford Tigers behind him and focusing all his attention on Sunday’s home Tetley’s Challenge Cup fourth-round clash against the Giants.

Kear is refusing to comment on the possibility of taking over from the axed Ian Millward at the struggling Super League club.

But the fact the Castleford-born Kear played for his hometown club and has made no secret of his desire to lead the Tigers at some stage, makes him an obvious candidate.

His stock also remains as high as ever with the coaching success he is enjoying with Kingstone Press Championship front-runners Batley.

And if the Bulldogs are to mount a serious challenge against second-placed Super League side Huddersfield this weekend, Kear knows he can’t afford any distractions – particularly regarding his own coaching future.

“This is a massive, and exciting challenge, for everyone at Batley,” said Kear, whose club now has a formal link with the Giants.

“We need to focus 100% on it to make sure we give a good account of ourselves, and we certainly don’t need any outside distractions.

“That’s why my sole concern this week is on Batley v Huddersfield in the Challenge Cup, that’s all that matters.

“We know everyone is going to have to be at their very best to meet the very sizeable challenge that awaits us, and ‘sizeable’ is a very apt description when you look at the physical stature of this weekend’s hosts!

“I’ve obviously been lucky enough to gain first-hand knowledge of how big these Huddersfield ‘Giants’ are, because I’m regularly invited down to the club as part of the excellent agreement we have between our two clubs.

“Paul Anderson and myself have a great working relationship, but this week things have changed a little, as you can imagine.

“I rang him last week and asked if we could have Danny Brough, Scott Grix, Leroy Cudjoe, Shaun Lunt and Craig Kopczak on dual-registration this week. I don’t think he was very happy with me!

“But it is a great tie for our club, and I’d like to think we could attract a big crowd, because it would be a great boost for us.

“It looks as if it’s going to be full-blown Huddersfield against full-blown Batley, and I think it’ll be great.”

Tickets prices for Sunday’s tie are £15 for adults, £10 for concessions and students, and £3 for Under 16s.

But Giants junior season-ticket holders can gain free admission by showing the voucher in their ticket booklet. It’s all-pay on the turnstiles, with no tickets available in advance.

Swinton have signed former Wigan academy back-row forward Matt Sarsfield, 21, who was released by the Giants at the end of last season.