Guest Column - Stuart Reardon: Why I'm determined to make the most of my homecoming

EXPERIENCING a comeback like ours against Wigan a week ago is one of the reasons you play the game.

For me, after missing nearly two years of action through injuries, it definitely was an amazing night – that winning feeling and being part of it all again. When you're out a long time it's a bad place to be; you're on your own, always in rehab and it's not nice.

But re-signing back here at Bradford has been a great opportunity. I always wanted to come back to the Bulls, my home-town club where I started my career and I've played all five Super League games so far.

The leg's fine, I feel sharper with every match and I'm just taking it each game at a time, looking to improve each week.

We go to Warrington tomorrow night and it'll be weird going back there for me.

When I left last April, I was nearly dead and buried.

I don't blame the Warrington coach Tony Smith for letting me go. There was problems with my rehab after my first Achilles operation at Warrington – that's why I failed the medical at Hull and paid for it myself to be done again – but when you've been at a club and you've been injured for that long, whether it was their fault or not, you bring other players in don't you? It's just what rugby is like.

I made mistakes myself. I didn't help myself. I gave him (Smith) an opportunity to get rid of me with getting into trouble with the police.

I don't blame anyone really. Everything happens for a

reason.

I'm back at Bradford now and it's turned out good. I've got a year here to try to get my career back on track and anything can happen in a year.

Warrington played really well last season when Tony came in and I don't think you can dispute that; they went on to win the Challenge Cup and he's a really good club coach. They've some great players and are a hard team to play.

They look real good this year, too, and are the team to beat – like Wigan – with a massive pack and playing some great rugby. It should be a good game but we can't start again like we did last week.

We were 20-0 down against a Warriors team that was unbeaten. It was a slow start and you can't afford it in this league as it is so competitive.

We turned it around with a magnificent second-half effort. The wind was a big factor and we started to play the conditions right, getting the two points at the death but we have to play better this week.

It's another big test but we're looking forward to it.

I'm loving it back at Odsal. It was a tough time last year. I didn't have any money coming in for around six months after I failed the medical at Hull and had to rent my home out and move back to my mum's house in Bradford which was a weird experience.

She was brilliant, though, and getting the deal at the Bulls was just what I needed. Now I'm aiming to make the most of it and get back into the swing of things.

Interview by Dave Craven