BULLS have been handed a huge boost by the return of two of their key first-team players.

Winger Ben Blackmore and prop Ebon Scurr both suffered bad injuries in Bradford’s 1895 Cup win at Dewsbury in early February, and have not played for the side since.

But head coach Eamon O’Carroll has named the pair of them in Bulls’ initial 21-man squad for the Betfred Championship clash at out-of-form York this Sunday.

Blackmore’s return is particularly handy given talented on-loan winger Connor Carr has returned to parent club Huddersfield for now, having suffered an ankle injury in Bulls’ home win over Toulouse last Saturday.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Ben Blackmore is a prolific try scorer, and with Connor Carr now out injured, Bulls would welcome his return on the wing this Sunday.Ben Blackmore is a prolific try scorer, and with Connor Carr now out injured, Bulls would welcome his return on the wing this Sunday. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Just 24 hours later, Blackmore and George Flanagan were in action for Bradford’s dual-registration club, Rochdale Hornets, against Newcastle Thunder.

Blackmore helped himself to a hat-trick of tries in the League 1 encounter, as Rochdale romped to a 68-4 victory.

The full 21-man squad can be viewed below:

Bradford will go into the game against York at the LNER Community Stadium as favourites after an impressive run of three league wins in a row, against tough opposition.

Having started their campaign with a difficult 42-12 defeat to title favourites Wakefield on the opening night, Bulls have gone on to beat Halifax and Toulouse at Odsal, with a first win at Featherstone since 2015 sandwiched in between.

York, play-off quarter-finalists last season, have made an awful start to their league season, losing all four of their Championship games so far.

Home defeats to Toulouse and Wakefield were expected, but they have also suffered surprising at Doncaster and Barrow.

York will hope to draw on their home game against Bulls last season as inspiration, a Monday night encounter that saw the Knights take the two points with an impressive 32-16 win.