Potter looks ahead to Saints clash

In Bulls Eye this week, Head Coach Mick Potter looks ahead to Friday night's Stobart Super League Rd 17 game at Langtree Park when the Bulls take on St Helens.

How will the four day turnaround effect you?
"Well it's not right we should have to play with such a short turnaround.  I don't think it will happen again and there has been some reason given to us as to why we are the only team to have to do it but that's irrelevant.  It's in the schedule and we are going to St Helens on Friday.  It's not ideal preparation but we'll take it on the chin and get on with it. The players haven't been able to do too much training because they have needed that recovery time.  We have just been focusing on Rehab- in the pool and stretching, things like that - and we have just had a Captain's run today just to fine tune things but really it's just been a recover period.  I understand why it's been done but if it could be managed just a little bit better it would be better for the Player's Welfare."

How do you think Saints will go n Friday night?
"I'm expecting the same as what they always do.  They are a top line team who are potential Grand Finalists and they are hard to beat.  They are hard to beat whatever their latest results are and they are a hard team to get on top of because they play for the full eighty minutes.  James Roby is a dynamic player and that's where everything starts from and if he gets loose then he can run 250 metres in a game, so he needs looking after.

They will have it in the back of their minds that they got beat the last time we played them.  They are a team that just want to win and I know their mentality and their culture and we know it's going to be a tough old outing.  It will be good to go to their new ground and see how the stadium has come up.

You are now in the eight again, what does that mean to you?
"Well if you are Bradford and you are sitting in eighth then it means you have to try and win every single game.  If you were second or third you could afford to lose a couple without going out of it but for us to lose a few it would mean quickly slipping down the ladder. 

We know that if we defend as we did against Castleford we won't be winning the game on Friday.  We are capable of defending better and the disappointing thing is that we haven't been able to work on anything because of the short turnaround but we can be better and we must be.