MORRISON PREVIEWS RESERVES CLASH

Reserves head coach Glenn Morrison previews tonight's clash with Huddersfield Giants at Bartercard Odsal Stadium (8:00pm!)

The Bradford Bulls Reserves team is in action tonight, playing at home against Huddersfield Giants. The two teams go into the game with contrasting fortunes, Huddersfield having won two of their last three games as the Bulls are still awaiting their first win of the season. 

“We had training on Monday but a lot of the boys have played on the weekend so it was more of a recovery session. We won’t get to prep until Wednesday when we’ll have a team run and try to get the squad together. We’ll know then if we’ve got any players down from the first team or any externals coming in. So, it’s going to be limited preparation but it is what it is and we’ll get the best out of every situation. We’ll know more on Wednesday, who we’ve got available, we’ll get them training and try and put a performance together to try and get over the top of Huddersfield.”

Having recently watched the Giants in action against Wakefield, a game they won 16–12, Morrison is aware of the tough challenge they present. They are a “top team that is playing and travelling well”.  However, he called upon his squad to prove that if they give their best efforts and stick to the game plan, then they will be in with a great chance of getting a result.

This season is a transitional one for the clubs’ development sides. Despite a few challenging results across the Reserves and Academy, there is confidence that the club is moving in the right direction. 

Despite his nature as a ‘ruthless’ Aussie who wants to win everything, Glenn was keen to stress that at this stage results aren’t everything and that progress can be measured in many ways, “We are in a development process and a transitional time with the Bulls and the Academy and lower teams. With players being selected for the first team we must be doing something right. 

“It’s about developing them, upskilling them, and getting the right people into the club for the future. So, I want to win but if I can see improvement and I can see people have got the right mentality week in, week out then that’s probably a win in itself in the short term, leading to long-term change for the club. It’s tough but that’s our position. 

“That’s why I got brought in to change things up, to change the culture, and to change things in the lower end of the club, the Reserves, the Academy, and the Scholarship. So, I think we are seeing improvements there, if we get players selected in the first team squad then we must see that as a positive.”

Glenn thinks that these off-field changes will eventually provide improved results across the club. Specifically, the development of a winning mindset and culture inside the team is considered a key target to strive for. 

“As a player, I tried to win and as a coach, I will always try to win. I came over to the Bulls when they were a Super League club. But we had players who had come from winning teams that were put together and there was a really good family sort of feel on and off the pitch. 

“Everybody had each other’s backs and everyone wanted to play for each other. And we are getting that back, we’re getting it and every person that is put on the pitch is working for each other. But it’s going to take time and we know that it’s a long-term goal, you can’t change things like that overnight. 

“But I think we are on the right path. There are people at the club like Jason Hirst, and Ryan Hunkin, are people that want change for the better and to cut a long story short we are working hard to try and get that.”