Eamon O'Carroll warns Bradford Bulls ahead of Toulouse test

It's the fourth league game of Bulls' season and they've already faced some stern tests, and today's fixture against the French outfit provides them with another challenge.

Looking ahead to the fixture, which provides the Bulls with their next opportunity to claim a monumental scalp, O'Carrroll said: “It would be huge for us to get the win.

“If we don’t go and get the result then we’ll look at the performance, but as long as we are competing, we’ll know that we are heading in the right direction.

“We have no right to just go out there and win games, especially when we are playing a well-coached and well-drilled side like Toulouse who are a full-time outfit.

“They’re also coming off the back of a defeat (20-14 loss at home to Swinton Lions), so they’ll be eager to respond.

“We have to take that into consideration, but we also have to keep looking at how we can get better, and if we come through this on the right side of the result, again, we’ll enjoy it but then we’ll get back to work and go for the next one.

“That’s how I want us to approach this first month or so – making sure that we come out of it with some lessons but also knowing that we are heading in the right direction – and being humble in doing so.”

Toulouse’s start to the season will have come as a surprise to many rugby league fans, with the French outfit losing two of their opening three Betfred Championship fixtures.

Defeats against Sheffield Tigers, and most recently, at home to Swinton Lions, have resulted in Toulouse coming into this game as potential underdogs.

O’Carroll, who has previously worked in the South of France under Steve McNamara at Catalan Dragons, admitted that he holds sympathy for Toulouse and their players after their indifferent start to the campaign.

He said: "I probably understand it more than most (Toulouse's start) having come from Catalan.

“I understand that they don't get the chance to play any trial games. The travel that they have to go through too is tough, and until you've done that, you probably don't understand what it's really like.

"It's not just just the two-hour flight - it's having to deal with the times of the flights, cancellations, travelling to and from the airport and then staying over in a hotel.

"It's a huge challenge for them and that might be one of the reasons as to why they haven't started as well as some might have expected. One thing I can say is that in all of their games they've looked highly competitive, so we know that we'll be in for a tough game.

"I have no doubt that they'll be one of the top teams this year and that they'll win lots of games. We just need to make sure that one of those isn't against us."

Eamon O'Carroll was hired by the Bulls from the South of France where Catalan Dragons play their rugby (Image: Tom Pearson)

Despite coming into this game with high confidence off the back of that victory at Featherstone, O'Carroll has told his players to be wary of a hurting Toulouse.

He said: "Yes, we have to play off our confidence and strong form, but Toulouse will want to respond well and that makes them even more dangerous.

"They have so much quality throughout the side, but we must focus on what we're doing more importantly."

Jorge Taufua returns to the squad for today's match following his two-match suspension and O'Carroll spoke of his delight to have him back in contention.

He said: "He'll come straight back into the team. He is really important to us, particularly with the way he is around the environment.

"He's almost like one of the dads of the group and he looks after people. He also works really hard on his own performance, so to have him back is a massive boost."