Bull's Eye

In Bulle Eye this week, Brian Noble and Lee Radford look ahead to Friday's Tetley's Super League game at Odsal when Hull FC are the visitors in the game of the round.

BRIAN NOBLE

IT?S A BIG GAME THIS WEEK AND YOU ARE GOING INTO IT WITHOUT THREE VERY IMPORTANT PLAYERS.

We are but we are going into it with three very good replacements. It?s a challenge for them and I am really excited about it. I am delighted for Lesley and Robbie. They have deserved their selection for New Zealand and I have already expressed my feeling regarding the loss of Tevita but we have a good squad with some high quality juniors and they will get their chance this week.

Hull have threatened to make the top four or five for a few years. They are obviously well coached, right throughout the club and this could be the year that they finally establish themselves as a force. They had a lot of adversity last year and they will be looking for a more settled side this time. Make no mistake they are a high quality side and we will need to play very well.

Barnett is a big player for them as is Richard Swaine. He has added a new dimension to their play and they have King and Carvell taking them forward and Best running in the tries. Briscoe works well for them from Full Back. They have great halves in Horne and Cooke and if they get a roll on they are difficult to stop.

It is the start of a busy period for us with three games in the space of ten days but we are aware of the schedule we have and have prepared for it. We might though have to get the old Red Bull out by the time we face London next Monday!

LEE RADFORD

HULL HAVE BEEN PLAYING WELL THIS SEASON.

They have and it was a bit of a surprise when they lost to Widnes. They have been going very well so far and look at last like they will establish themselves in the Top four or five. They have got an easier draw, with not making the Top 6 and I can see them rapidly climbing the table towards the back end of the year. Richard Swain has been playing well for them as has Richie Barnett and Richard Horne is obviously a high quality player. They will be looking to cause an upset and we will have to play well to beat them. We were disappointed with the result at Leeds and we didn?t really get tested against Saints, so we will be looking for a big game as we enter a busy period.

TEAM NEWS

Brian Noble has named a 19 man squad for the game. The squad is: Withers, Reardon, Hape, Andy Smith, Bridge, Aaron Smith, Moore, Vagana, Anderson, Fielden, Peacock, Parker, Radford, Langley, L Pryce, Deacon, Johnson, K Pryce, Swann

MILESTONES

LEON PRYCE needs 4 points for a total of 300 for the Bulls. He has scored 74 tries in his 153 games for the club he joined as a 16 year old

TEVITA VAIKONA?S tries against Leeds and St Helens took him past the 400 points mark for the Bulls. He has now scored 101 tries in 166 appearances since joining from Hull in 1998.

MICHAEL WITHERS scored 14 points against St Helens. That tally took him past 400 for the Bulls. He has scored 93 tries, 17 goals and 3 drop goals in his 119 appearances for the club.

LESLEY VAINIKOLO?S tries against Leeds and St Helens took him past the 200 points mark for the Bulls. He has scored 51 tries in only 62 games for the club.

BULLS EYE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MEDIA DEPARTMENT OF BRADFORD BULLS RUGBY CLUB.

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