Promotion-chasing Bradford Bulls all set for massive knockout game

BRADFORD Bulls boss John Kear says his side need no 'reminder' of just how big Sunday's League 1 play-off semi-final is.

They host Oldham knowing defeat will spell the end of their promotion hopes and leave them destined for another season in the sport’s third-tier.

Former Super League giants Bradford, of course, were big favourites to finish champions only to be pipped by York City Knights last weekend.

They may only have lost three league games all year since being relegated from the Championship but unless they get the next 80 minutes right, all their work will be rendered futile.

Kear said: “We don’t really need any reminder of how tough it is going to be and we are fully aware of how difficult this game is going to be.

“We also know fully aware of what we have to do be successful so that is what we will endeavor to do.

“It is a really important game for both sets of people. We knew this was a situation that we could possibly end up in, so now it is a case of being ready for 3pm on Sunday.”

The victors will face the winners of tomorrow’s other semi-final between Doncaster and Workington.

Bradford remain confident they will get the job done.

“I don’t think it will be a problem motivating them or getting their energy levels up because we are preparing prior to the Hemel game,” he said, Bulls having vanquished Hemel Stags 52-7 last Sunday.

“We made sure that some players were rested and in all honesty now if you look at the squad, it is free from scrapes and they are very much bouncing.

“It has given us one or two selection headaches that we have to make sure that we get right for this weekend.”

However, the veteran former Hull FC and Wakefield Trinity coach says little will else change for the Odsal game.

“You can’t do much different when you are playing near your 30th game of the season,” added Kear.

“You don’t have to step up training. You just do what you know you have to do, “They know the structures that we are going to use and we looked at the game they (Oldham) played against (London) Skolars.

“We can predict what they are going to throw at us – we are content with our preparation, but obviously it is all to do with the 80 minutes on Sunday."