Head to Head

At Provident Stadium	Last 8 Meetings	Away from Home
LOST 12-34, 05/02/2012	WON 2 LOST 5 DRAW 1	LOST 30-10, 23/03/2013
LOST 28-34, 02/07/2011		LOST 50-26, 08/09/2012
LOST 22-24, 01/08/2010		DRAW 8-8, 25/04/2011
WIN 42-18, 23/08/2009		WIN 14-36, 10/04/2010

Magic Weekend fixtures will display as either home or away

Stats over last 8 encounters

BULLS		Catalan Dragons
184	TOTAL POINTS	212
32	TOTAL TRIES	39
28	TOTAL GOALS	28

In Bulls Eye this week, Head Coach Francis Cummins looks ahead to Saturday’s game at Stade Gilbert Brutus when the Bulls take on the Dragons.

 

FRANCIS CUMMINS

 

WHAT DID THE WIN OVER HULL KR DO FOR THE SIDE?

 

“Well it just went to prove that if as a squad you are together and work hard for each other then it doesn’t matter who you have missing because you can always find a way to win.  I’m very pleased for them as they worked really hard again; we knew we had players missing and we found a way. We proved to ourselves again that if we stick to what we are doing then we can score tries but we can also defend very well too.”

 

WHAT CHALLENGE DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE DRAGONS?

 

“We looked at Hull KR last week and they have a big pack but looking at Catalans we are going to have to step up again.  We have a few people down and we may have to have players rotating roles again and we are going to have to be prepared for that.   They are a big side who are very physical and they can come straight through you but they can also play some very good football as well. So we need to contain them, try and turn them round and make their big players run around a bit.

 

They have been a bit up and down lately but they are very strong collectively.  They have such a good pack they can play Steve Menzies in the Centre and he is a massive threat there as well.  They have some players who can come up with a special play on the back of their big pack.  To put it simply they have a few Jarrod Sammut’s in their side!!  In yardage they are willing to throw the ball about, which makes them a very dangerous proposition.

 

I am very pleased with how we are playing.  I’d like us to do a little bit more with the ball but the conditions last week, plus the fact that we had a few missing meant we had to stick to what we knew.

 

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE; THE TRAVEL OR THE ‘DOWN’ TIME YOU HAVE WHILST YOU ARE THERE?

 

“The travel.  It’s different; it’s a different climate and a different environment with different food.  We try and get the players to do as near to normal as possible but the travel does knock you about a bit.  We have to set off at 04:45 on Friday.  It’s not something I am making a big thing about because there will be plenty of rest time but like I said it’s different.  It would be nice if we could fly into Perpignan but we have to go to Barcelona, hence the early start.

 

On the plus side it gives us some time to get together.  I know we are together most days but this is a different environment and it’s good for the staff as well to be able to spend some time together.  We have been holed up at Tong now since November – we didn’t have a pre season camp- so this is a chance to spend some time together in a different environment and hopefully it can spark us up.   There will be a few laughs as well because there always is if you’re together with some down time to see out!

 

 

SQUAD NEWS

 

Bulls Coach Francis Cummins has named his 19 – Man Squad for Saturday’s game.  

 

Matt Diskin returns to the Squad and Chev Walker is also included after missing last week’s game through injury.

 

The Squad is:  James Donaldson, Adam Sidlow, Adam O’Brien, Manase Manuokafoa, John Bateman,  Brett Kearney, Nick Scruton, Heath L’Estrange, Adrian Purtell, Keith Lulia, Elliott Whitehead, Elliot Kear, Jarrod Sammut, Danny Addy, Tom Olbison, Chev Walker, Jobe Murphy, Jamie Foster, Matt Diskin

 

MILESTONES

 

CHEV WALKER needs 1 Try for a career total of 100.  He has scored 99 Tries for Leeds, Hull KR, Gt Britain, England and Bradford Bulls. 

 

JARROD SAMMUT needs 3 points for a career total of 200 in the British game.  He has scored 35 tries, kicked 28 goals and a 1 drop goal for a points’ total of 197 in 57 games for the Bulls and Crusaders RL.

 

JAMIE FOSTER needs 8 points for a career total of 800. He has scored 41 tries and kicked 314 goals for a points’ total of 792 in 54 appearances for the Bulls, St Helens and Hull FC.