Bradford Bulls friendly will give Hunslet chance to fine tune ahead of opener

The Parksiders’ opening fixture is away to Doncaster in eight days’ time so a final warm-up game at home to Bradford Bulls has been arranged for today (3pm).

“With us not playing in the first week we didn’t want to go from the Leeds game [two weeks ago] to the Doncaster game without playing,” Hunslet coach Gary Thornton said. “Playing on Saturday gives us a decent turnaround before Doncaster and we will go with a 20- or 21-man squad and get some minutes under their belts.”

Bulls played at Sheffield Eagles in the Championship last night. Thornton added: “They have a big squad and a couple of players coming back from injury. I think it will be the first teamers who didn’t play at Sheffield, plus under-19s.

“It will still be a strong squad, I am expecting at least half a dozen, maybe eight, first teamers.”

After losing to Batley in their opening pre-season match Thornton’s men have beaten Hunslet Club Parkside and Leeds Rhinos and he insisted: “I am just looking for another improvement. We’ve identified a few things from the Leeds game we need to work on and pre-season has been all about improving week by week and getting ready for the Doncaster game.”