Leeds old boy Scrutton says Bulls ready to capitalise

The robust prop came through the ranks at Leeds, winning the 2008 Grand Final with his hometown club before switching to their arch-rivals last season.

Rhinos went on to lift a third successive title but are currently lying ninth after an injury-plagued start.

Scruton insists Bradford – one place above them after winning half their Super League games – need to capitalise at Headingley Carnegie tonight.

"It's not about hitting them when they're down but if we get the chance we're going to take it," he said. "Both sides are desperate for points. Leeds are two off the play-offs – it's really unusual to see both clubs so low down – and if we win we'll go four above them.

"It's still early in the season and people say you can't win the title nine games in. That's true but you can almost lose it if you get too far behind the pack."

Former champions Bulls suffered themselves last season by missing out on the Super League play-offs for the first time.

They have had a mixed start to 2010 but are the only club to have defeated leaders Wigan and showed their fighting quality by edging a dour contest with bottom-placed Harlequins last Friday.

Scruton, 25, said: "We've had a couple of scrappy wins like Harlequins. It's good for us to be able to grind them out like that when it's close but we've had enough of those now.

"We need to start producing some proper flowing rugby and we see Thursday night as the perfect time to do that."

The Bulls should be almost at full-strength with captain Andy Lynch hoping to have shaken off an injury. The hosts are also bidding to have some of their more familiar faces back but Scruton insisted: "It won't bother us who's in or out of the Leeds squad. They could pull 17 people from the South Stand and they'd have a really good go.

"It's a derby game. Everything goes out of the window."