Bulls Eye

In Bulls Eye this week, Brian Noble and Shontayne Hape look ahead to Saturday's Tetley's Super League qualifying semi final at Odsal when once again the Bulls take on the Rhinos with a place in the Grand Final the prize for the winner.

BRIAN NOBLE:

IT WILL BE ANOTHER TOUGH GAME IN PROSPECT?

It will be cracker! There has not been a lot between the sides this season and I am sure it will be the same again. We expect it to be tough and another close game and that is how it should be. It is the most important game of the season so far for both sides and there is a place in the Grand Final at stake for the winners so everything looks well set. There should be a massive crowd at Odsal to see the top two sides in the competition going head to head.

There is a lot of talk about having a ?safety net? by having another chance if you lose this game but that is not in our thinking at all. We want to win as that guarantees us a Grand Final spot.

LEEDS HAVE A LOT OF PROVEN MATCH WINNERS.

I can?t really say too much on that score because I?ve said it already a lot this season. They are a high quality side with some great players and they have stood up in the games against us. But I don?t buy into this theory that Leeds are due a win just because they have lost to us several times. It is not about tossing a coin or rolling a dice. It is about how you prepare. The thing about the fifth fixture is that it's everything to play for again, and it has all the right ingredients to make it the best one yet. It is what we play the game for and the ultimate prize is at stake. It?s going to be a great occasion.

SHONTAYNE HAPE:

BRADFORD AND LEEDS LOOK TWO WELL MATCHED SIDES.

We have played them four times already and, apart from one game, there hasn?t been more than two points in them. The intensity will be higher in this game because it is the Semi Finals and it will be probably a tougher game than the previous encounters.

It has been a good season for me. I already have a Challenge Cup winner?s medal and I?d like to think I can add a Super League Ring to that. I am enjoying my time here at Bradford and we have performed very well as a team.

We have had a week off and that has helped us to get over the bumps and bruises of a long season and we are all fit and raring to go. It will be a very high quality game with a Grand Final spot for the winners.

TEAM NEWS:

Bulls will select from 20 players including Robbie Paul and Michael Withers. Jamie Langley is absent through injury.

Squad. Paul, Withers, Reardon, Naylor, Vaikona, Hape, Vainikolo, Lowes, Pryce, Pratt, Deacon, Anderson, Fielden, Peacock, Radford, Vagana, Gartner, Forshaw, Parker, Gilmour

MILESTONES:

LESLEY VAINIKOLO is the Bulls and the game?s leading try scorer this season with 27.

LEON PRYCE has scored 21 tries for the Bulls this season and 2 for Yorkshire making a total of 23.

JAMES LOWES needs 2 tries for a total of 100 for the Bulls

PAUL DEACON who has kicked 160 goals from 200 attempts in all games for the Bulls this season for an average of 80.00 %, needs 2 points for a total of 1000 for the Bulls. He is both the leading points scorer and goal scorer in the competition.

TEVITA VAIKONA has now scored 175 tries for a career total of 700 points of which 96 have been for the Bulls

LEE RADFORD needs 4 points for 100 for the Bulls

MICHAEL WITHERS needs 6 points for career total of 400. He has scored 94 tries, 8 goals and 2 Drop Goals in 114 appearances in the British game.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT STUART DUFFY OR SIMON COLLINSON ON 01274 762315