Preview: Hull v Bradford (Round 13)

Friday?s game at Hull?s KC Stadium pits new Bradford coach Steve McNamara against the team he had the chance to coach.

Hull turned to Australian Peter Sharp after former player McNamara rejected their offer to succeed John Kear and centre Kirk Yeaman, Super League?s leading tryscorer this year, says the players are comfortable with their new boss.

Sharp enjoyed a watching brief as Hull walloped Wigan 54-12 at the KC Stadium last Sunday before getting down to business this week.

?Steve chose to stay at Bradford and good luck to him,? said Yeaman. ?We?re not too bothered about all that. We?ve got Peter Sharp as our coach now and we?re looking forward to doing well under him.

?His arrival has given everybody a good lift. It?s a different face around the camp and he seems like a really nice bloke too.

?He doesn?t know much about us - he might have seen us on video - so everybody is out to impress him.? McNamara, who enjoyed his first win at the expense of Catalans Dragons a week ago, is determined not to allow himself to become the focus of attention.

?It creates interests but it doesn?t really interest me and I am sure it doesn?t interest Peter Sharp at Hull either,? he said.

?I made my decision and this job is the one I wanted to do and I am delighted to be doing it.?

The Bulls will give a debut to a second teenage forward in a month, with 6ft 2in Matt James set to make his bow in the absence of Australian Brad Meyers.

?He is an outstanding prospect with a lot of talent and hopefully we will see that bear fruit on Friday,? said McNamara.

?Craig Kopczak did a great job for us and has had a taste of what it is all about but I think Matt gives us slightly different attributes to Craig and he deserves his chance.

?He has been itching to get a shot and I am really excited to see how he goes.?

Hull FC v Bradford Bulls, KC Stadium, Friday May 5 2006

Hull 18-man squad: Blacklock, Brough, Carvell, Cooke, Chester, Dixon, Dowes, R. Horne, King, Lee, McMenemy, Radford, Raynor, Swain, Thackray, Tony, Washbrook, Yeaman.

Bradford 18-man squad: James, Fielden, Smith, I. Harris, B. Harris, Ferres, Lynch, Withers, Pryce, Bai, Langley, Vagana, Gene, Hape, Henderson, Vainikolo, Johnson, Newton.

Referee: S Ganson