Past Bradford Bulls blues not forgotten by fired-up Featherstone Rovers

It will be the teams’ first meeting at LD Nutrition Stadium, Post Office Road, after Rovers lost 17-16 at Odsal in the opening round of the Betfred Championship and were beaten 27-26 there in a Coral Challenge Cup tie which went to golden-point extra-time.

“We owe them one – or two if you count the Challenge Cup,” Rovers coach Ryan Carr acknowledged. “But we are not thinking about the past, we are just looking forward and it is a tough fixture for us.

“They are going really well – they are still alive in the Challenge Cup which shows how good they are going – and it’s going to be a big test at home, but we are excited by it. The team are really enjoying playing together at the moment and they are looking forward to getting out there.”

Inspired by half-backs Dane Chisholm and Tom Holmes, Rovers crushed high-flying York City Knights 42-10 at the Summer Bash in Blackpool a week ago.

Carr reckons that was a sign they are heading in the right direction and he added: “We are starting to get a feel for how we are and how we play.

“That’s pleasing. The boys are really buying into it and that is what you want as a coach and a team.”

Both halves joined the club midway through the campaign and have already had a big influence.

Carr said: “They’ve been good, they fitted in straight away. Last week was their third game together and you can see by their performance they are feeling more comfortable each week - but they are all about the team, they always put the team first. One never gets success without the other 16 and for us it’s about making sure we do our job as a whole.”

With Bulls seventh in the table, a place behind Rovers on points difference, tomorrow is a four-pointer.

Carr does not expect the visitors to be distracted by next week’s Cup quarter-final against Halifax and stressed: “It is such a tight table if you want to be there or thereabouts at the end of the year you have to be consistent. They are all big games.”