Head to Head

At Provident Stadium	Last 8 Meetings	Away from Home
LOST 6-70, 01/09/2012	WON 1 LOST 7 DRAW 0	LOST 28-12, 10/02/2013
LOST 14-28, 19/06/2011		LOST 24-18, 30/03/2012
LOST 22-28, 04/07/2010		LOST 34-24, 08/04/2011
		LOST 18-6, 19/03/2010
		WIN 18-21, 11/09/2009

Magic Weekend fixtures will display as either home or away

Stats over last 8 encounters

BULLS		Hull FC
117	TOTAL POINTS	230
20	TOTAL TRIES	41
18	TOTAL GOALS	33

In Bulls Eye this week, Head Coach Francis Cummins looks forward to Friday’s game at the KC Stadium against Hull FC.

 

FRANCIS CUMMINS

LOOKING BACK TO LAST WEEK’S GAME; IT COULDN’T HAVE GONE MUCH BETTER REALLY?

“No I don’t suppose it could have really.  You are just looking forward to the game and hoping to get off to a good start.  I suppose we were dreaming about that!!   I just wanted them to do well;  obviously get the victory but I expected it to be a little less one sided.  That’s not taking anything away from Wakefield.  I just thought we were terrific.”

WERE THERE SIGNS LEADING UP TO THE GAME THAT THAT COULD BE THE CASE?

“There have been signs all pre season. These boys have really changed in how they approach their professionalism, so that side has been constant.  It’s been a tough pre season and they have really stepped up but you don’t know how you will go until the competition starts.  We played well against Leeds and that was more intense than a normal pre season game but like I said you don’t really know what will happen until that whistle goes in the first game.   We were all prepared and ready; so let’s go see if we can deliver it. And we did!”

 

AFTER A DEFEAT OR A WIN, SOMETIMES IT’S HOW YOU BACK UP.  ARE YOU MINDFUL OF THAT GOING INTO THIS WEEK’S GAME AT HULL?

“I’ve talked a lot to the players about backlashes and how Hull were perhaps a little embarrassed last week and that they will want to show what they can do in front of their own fans, so this is a big challenge for us.  I want them to go into Hull’s backyard and do the same again.

I think Hull are a stronger side that last year. They will be up there. Obviously they have lost Gaz Ellis and that’s a blow but they have a very talented squad.  They have a lot of experienced players and they have some depth in their squad too.  They have invested over a number of years to get to this position and I don’t think they will be far away in any competition.”

 

WERE YOU SURPRISED BY THE SCORELINE AND THEIR PERFORMANCE AGAINST LEEDS LAST WEEK?

More the scoreline I think.  I didn’t expect that end result.  It was very tight for a while and then Leeds just did what they can do to any team.  They can quickly run away from you.  They get a try, get on the front foot and then they are really quick, so that can happen.”

 

THERE IS ALWAYS A GREAT ATMOSPHERE AT THE KC BUT YOU CAN QUELL THAT IF YOU START WELL, CAN’T YOU? 

 

“They are not having a rough time. They have just lost a game but there is a lot of expectation of them this season.  I think when you go away and you start well the tension can start to affect the players because they are concerned that they need to do well for their fans.  With them having had a loss on their first outing they could be a little tense.  We have to keep our concentration and hopefully get them into that situation.”

 

WILL YOU CHANGE A WINNING SIDE?

We have to look at who is available and look at the opposition.  There are some noted people who are not available for us and I couldn’t really pick out anyone from last week who wouldn’t deserve to be in this week but we have had a chat, myself and Lee St Hilaire and we may have to shuffle and perhaps change the starting line up, simply because of the way we want to play.”

 

SQUAD NEWS

Bulls Coach Francis Cummins has named the same 19-man squad that faced Wakefield for Friday's game against Hull at the KC Stadium.

The Squad in full is:  James Donaldson, Adam Sidlow, Michael Platt, Manase Manuokafoa, Jamie Langley, Matt Diskin, Brett Kearney, Nick Scruton, Heath L’Estrange, Matty Blythe, Keith Lulia, Elliot Whitehead, Elliot Kear, Jarrod Sammut, Danny Addy, Tom Olbison, Chev Walker, Jobe Murphy, Jamie Foster.

 

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. 

 

JAMIE FOSTER needs 6 points for a career total of 750.  He has scored 40 tries and kicked 292 goals in 49 appearances for the Bulls, St Helens and Hull FC.

 

JAMIE LANGLEY needs 2 points for a total of 150 for the Bulls.  He has scored 37 tries in 239 appearances for the club.

 

BRETT KEARNEY needs 2 points for a total of 150 for the Bulls.  He has scored 37 tries in 69 appearances for the club.