BRADFORD Bulls head coach Eamon O’Carroll is refusing to blame a punishing winter schedule for leaving him with a depleted squad ahead of tonight’s highly-anticipated Betfred Championship opener at title favourites Wakefield Trinity.

Bulls have played nine games already in the current campaign, starting way back on Christmas Eve against Halifax, with centre Kieran Gill admitting it feels like they are “halfway through the season”, despite this weekend only marking the first round of the Championship.

Though Bulls have named a squad for Trinity which probably contains at least 10 of their regular starting 13, key players like Ben Blackmore, Ebon Scurr and Eribe Doro are all absent with injuries picked up in gruelling, competitive cup matches.

But O’Carroll told the T&A: “That’s the nature of the beast.

“Those injuries we’ve picked up in the cup games could easily have happened in the first month of the league season instead.

“It’s been a bit extreme, the amount of absences we’re suffering, but it’s not too bad, and luckily most of the lads are still fit and raring to go.

“Every club goes through this, and it’s what gives other players opportunities, which is fantastic for them.

“And when we have all those injured players back fit, they’ll ensure we get a real boost.”

For now, there is a lack of depth within the Bulls squad, with the situation not helped by Leigh recalling Keanan Brand due to being short on numbers and Corey Johnson picking up a HIA injury in a reserve game for parent club Leeds last Saturday.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Keanan Brand played a key role in Bulls' 1895 Cup win over Swinton at the start of the month, but he has already been forced to return to Leigh.Keanan Brand played a key role in Bulls' 1895 Cup win over Swinton at the start of the month, but he has already been forced to return to Leigh. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

O’Carroll said: “There is a depth issue, and we have a lack of it in certain positions.

“But there’s nothing we can do about it, and we’re just focused on the task in hand at Wakefield, which is planning how we can take two points from a league game.

“We’re certainly not feeling sorry for ourselves over the current squad situation.”

And they have been boosted by the arrival on loan of young front row pair Lucas Green and Harvey Wilson ahead of the Wakefield game, with both making the 21-man squad for tonight’s clash.

As mentioned, Blackmore, Scurr and Doro all miss out through injury, as does Eliot Peposhi.

Jordan Baldwinson and Tom Holmes are long-term absentees, while John Davies is missing due to suspension, as he starts a two-game ban for the Grade D head contact charge he was penalised for in the 1895 Cup quarter-final win over Swinton Lions last time out.