Friday Interview - Rikki Sheriffe: Sheriffe sure Bulls can rally towards play-offs

But that is the discussion inside the Bradford Bulls' camp ahead of tonight's crunch match at fellow strugglers Harlequins.

The last time the Bulls won, Chelsea had just been crowned Premier League champions and people believed England could win football's World Cup in South Africa.

That was on May 14 and involved a 29-10 win at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. Since then, the Bulls have been in freefall, star player Matt Orford is out injured for the season, and with coach Steve McNamara leaving at the end of the campaign to take on the England job full-time many outside the confines of Odsal have already written off Bradford for this season.

But that seven-game losing run – which included a narrow Challenge Cup defeat to Warrington – has not broken the Bulls' defiant resolve.

According to winger Rikki Sheriffe, the spirits inside Odsal are still good as they look to rally behind under-pressure McNamara.

"It's a massive game (tonight) and one that we need to win," said Sheriffe, as he returns to his former club Harlequins.

"I can't put my finger on what's gone wrong. I think it's just the little things. – the bounce of the ball – just little things aren't going our way."

In Bradford's last two defeats, to Hull FC and Castleford Tigers, a 28-22 margin shows there was just one converted score between drawing and failure.

Huddersfield and Hull KR should be clear on 21 points, leaving three teams – Castleford (18pts), Bradford (17) and Wakefield (16) – competing for the eighth and final play-off spot.

"The most frustrating thing is there has been nothing in the games. If we were honest with ourselves, the games we have lost we should have won convincingly," said the winger.

"It's a very frustrating time at the club, but we are trying to work hard to improve and know a win is just around the corner."

Sheriffe said while the players are determined to send McNamara out on a high, they also accept they are playing for their futures ahead of a new coach arriving.

Mick Potter, currently at St Helens, and the man in charge of tonight's opposition, Brian McDermott, are the favourites for the post, with a decision expected next week.

"The coach is going, but at the same time we all get paid to do a job," said Sheriffe. "We have to stay strong for the coach and let him go out on a high by reaching the play-offs and do really well in them.

"We have just got to concentrate on winning. It's not that we don't care who the

next coach is, but we have lost seven games on the bounce and I think that's more important than who is coming in and who isn't.

"They can't do anything for us, help us out, we have to do that for ourselves. With Steve's guidance we can, hopefully, get some wins together.

"We all love the club and want to stay, and need to impress the new coach. We have had a few injuries, but as soon as we get someone back, another seems to get injured. We get one quality player back, but then lose a quality player."

The player the Bulls have missed more than most is the influential Orford, who has been ruled out for the season with a shoulder injury.

The 32-year-old Australian scrum-half was Bradford's playmaker and the Odsal club have struggled to fill the large void.

"The guys who are filling in for Orford are doing a great job, but he is obviously a quality player we are missing.

"We could do with his guidance, but on the other hand we know that he is not here and we need to take responsibility. We can't leave it to just one man," added the 26-year-old, who spent two seasons at the Stoop.

"It will be good to go down to Harlequins. Me and my missus have stayed in touch with a lot of people down there, so it's going to be good to return. There's some really great people down there, who helped me out massively."

Sheriffe started out playing for Halifax then York City Knights before moving to London, then a brief spell with Doncaster followed before arriving at Odsal last year.

If the Bulls are looking for a lucky omen, they can turn their attentions to 12 months ago. Then, Bradford were in an even worse position than today, but a victory on the road at Harlequins started a five-match winning run that saw them narrowly miss out on the play-offs.

Sheriffe is hoping tonight can prove to be a similar catalyst.

"I have been playing well, but the scoreline obviously isn't showing that," he said.

"As an individual, I am trying to do my thing and help the team out any way I can.

"Every individual in the team is trying to do the same and it's about gelling all that together.

"We have got some great individuals in our squad, but we need to get it right this weekend. I remember last year we played Quins away, and that was a catalyst of our five-game run we went on at the end of the season and we nearly made the play-offs.

"Who knows? This might be the start for us again. We have six more games after Quins in our search for the play-offs. We are all looking forward to the game."