Carl Forster Backs Bradford Bulls for York Test at Odsal

Bradford Bulls head into their Odsal meeting with York carrying the same expectation every week, according to assistant coach Carl Forster. He said that pressure is part of the shirt, with the club trying to get back to winning ways after the defeat to Warrington.

Forster called it “a massive game under the lights” and said Bradford had “done a lot of homework on York” as the Bulls prepared for a Betfred Super League clash. The fixture has been built up because it pits two of the three newly-promoted sides against each other, and Bradford were due to meet York after both clubs spent last season battling it out in the Championship.

Carl Forster on Bradford

“No, because we prepare to win every single week,” Forster said when asked whether the occasion adds extra pressure. “That’s the philosophy for all of us coaches, that no week is different in that sense.” He added: “We know it’s going to be built up pretty big, as these two sides were battling it out in the Championship last season, so I can see why the comparisons are being made.”

Forster’s words also pointed to the standards inside the camp. “But there’s pressure every time you put a Bradford Bulls shirt on, and that expectation to win is driven within our camp,” he said. That line defines the challenge for Bradford as much as the opponent does: the club is not treating York as a special case, just another week where the response has to be a result.

York Test at Odsal

Bradford could have a healthier squad for the match, with Joe Mellor, Ryan Sutton, Andy Ackers, Ethan Ryan, Ebon Scurr and Guy Armitage all in contention to play again after injury. Riley Dean could also make his first Bulls appearance after being 18th man for the defeat to Warrington last time out.

Eliot Peposhi’s role offers another twist. He played at prop in the Warrington defeat, an unfamiliar position, and Forster said: “He did really well and we thought he brought a lot of energy to the group when he started in the middle at Warrington.” He also said Peposhi, who came through at 13, gives the side more options because he can cover the back row, the middle and the 13 role.

For Bradford, the immediate task is simple: carry the pressure, use the extra competition for places and turn the talk around a big Odsal night into two points.