Magic Bulls Eye: Bradford v Leeds

by NRL

This week Bulls Eye caught up with Assistant Coach Francis Cummins ahead of Sunday's Stobart Super League Round 15 game at the Ethiad stadium between the Bulls and Leeds.

FRANCIS CUMMINS

THE ETHIAD STADIUM LOOKS IMPRESSIVE?

"It looks very good indeed. Even driving up to it you can't fail to be impressed with what you see. I think the weekend is a special one for everyone involved and this stadium will enhance that. It's different because it has a different feel to normal league game and whilst the stadium won't make any difference when you are on the field the whole build up will be special.

"It's very accessible for the supporters and we do ask a lot of them and this venue is just right for the majority of supporters in the game."

STADIUM APART THERE IS A GAME THERE TO BE WON?

"We have the opportunity to do the double over Leeds and that's great motivation for the club and the supporters. They were very pleased with what we did on Good Friday and we want to do that again and prove that it was no fluke. We feel that we are perhaps a little underestimated in some quarters and we have to go round things maybe a little differently to such as Leeds but we know that the desire is there from the players and they have shown that over the past few weeks. They will be ready to go out and ruffle a few feathers again.

"We didn't play too well last week. We were lucky to come out with a draw and Leeds are coming off the back of a loss. Collectively as a group we are looking for a performance and we are at the halfway stage of the season. We are a point ahead of Leeds but we can't think that is enough. We need to keep going, picking up the points and prove a lot of people wrong."

ARE YOU WARY OF A BACKLASH FROM LEEDS?

"You are always wary of a backlash against them especially if people write them off. They have a great history of doing that, as they showed last year. Knowing the players and Brian as well as I do, I know that the strength within the group is immense but like any other team that are capable of being beaten, as they have shown over the past few weeks and we want to add another defeat to that."

WILL YOU MAKE CHANGES FOR THIS GAME?

"Hopefully we will have a few people back in contention but there are some young men out there who have really put their hand up to be counted. It's going to be difficult, if we do get people back, to say who will play where. For the first time for what seems like eighteen months Mick, Lee and myself we are in a situation where we are now looking at options for selection in many positions. We have had to juggle and make do and people have had to play out of position and they have done a good job for us. Whilst that has been great it will be nice to get some fit people back and be able to look at just about our best seventeen."

SQUAD NEWS

Mick Potter will name his Squad on Friday and he could have Adrian Purtell and Brett Kearney back in contention along with John Bateman who has now completed his suspension.

MILESTONES

CHEV WALKER needs 2 Tries for a career total of 100. He has scored 98 Tries for Leeds, Hull KR, Gt Britain, England and Bradford Bulls.

LUKE GALE needs 3 points for a career total of 600. He has scored 55 Tries and kicked 183 Goals and 11 Drop Goals for a total of 584 points for Doncaster, Harlequins, England Knights and Bradford Bulls.

BEN JEFFRIES needs two tries to reach 100 club touchdowns whilst in the British game. Jeffries is in his second spell (2008-2009 & 2011-2012) with the Bulls and has scored 21 tries for the club. He has also touched down 77 times for Wakefield (2003-2007 & 2010-2011).

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