Bradford Bulls v St Helens: Hosts not 'falling off cliff', insists Kurt Haggerty
Kurt Haggerty insists Bradford Bulls are "climbing the mountain" rather than "falling off a cliff" after successive defeats.
While the injury-hit Bulls have lost their last two matches, Haggerty remains convinced only minor improvements are needed to get his side back to winning ways ahead of Saturday's home clash with St Helens.
The Bradford boss is determined to give the Odsal faithful another performance to savour on a night when England's World Cup fixture is competing for attention.
"The reason we've won so many games at home is that we want to perform for our fans, entertain, work hard and be resilient," he said.
"We've got 10 injuries but ultimately we have got some bodies back fit as well. We speak about falling off a cliff or climbing the mountain. At the moment we're climbing the mountain.
"The areas we need to fix are not as severe as what some other clubs are facing. If we tidy up with the ball and defend our goal-line a little bit better, we know we can win big games."
Ten points separate the Bulls and Saints in the Super League table but Haggerty's men pushed the play-off hopefuls all the way in the reverse fixture despite finishing with 12 men.
Haggerty, however, insists that meeting in March will have little bearing on Saturday's contest.
"We've focused more on our performance against Catalans," he said. "I don't think we played well but we were still in with an opportunity of winning that game.
"They've got very good players and are a very good team. I think they're still in a transition of figuring out how they play and what the coach wants.
"Ultimately we've got to be at our best, complete high and take St Helens into a cycle to try and beat them."
While St Helens are Bradford's immediate priority, there is growing excitement about what lies ahead, with a Las Vegas trip on the horizon and Sam Eseh Jr and Cam Scott already secured for next season.
The Bulls have also been linked with former player John Bateman and Kodi Nikorima, brother of current Bulls half-back Jayden.
Haggerty refused to be drawn on that speculation but has been encouraged by Bradford's early recruitment work.
"The big thing is the style of play," he said. "It's a little bit different and they want a bit of that.
"They've also seen the resilience we have as a team. Vegas helps, the noise the club is making and the matchday experiences we're putting on.
"There are a lot of things to be positive about at Bradford Bulls at the moment."