Broken hand victim Jamie Peacock will be ready to strut his stuff in time for the Challenge Cup final - and is desperate for his team-mates to get there.

The Bulls second-rower was originally expected to be out for two months after breaking his right hand against Hunslet in the last round but it is now thought he will return in early April.

The Great Britain star may even make it back for the semi-finals on April 12/13, should the Bulls triumph in today's televised clash with Widnes Vikings.

"I have always been a quick healer," said Peacock, who was replaced by Lee Gilmour in Sunday's Odsal Homecoming.

"They have taken another look at it and I will definitely be back in time for the final and maybe the semi-final as well.

"I just hope the lads get there. I have crossed my fingers - well, on my left hand anyway."

Peacock, who has been both a winner and a loser in Challenge Cup finals with the Bulls, didn't realise immediately that his hand was broken.

"My hand hurt after the game," said the 25-year-old.

"I went out for a few beers after and then it swelled up. I went in the next day, I had an operation and went home the day after.

"It is a shame that it had happened in the Hunslet game. We would probably have been about 50 points up at the time, but if I am going to be injured, better that it is now than later in the season."

It was Peacock's first surgery in a relatively injury-free career that has seen him represent Great Britain seven times, and the first games he has missed since moving up to the Bulls first-team.

But of all the matches he is set to miss, it was last week's emotional Homecoming victory over Wakefield that was the most frustrating.

"It didn't really hit me until the game started," said Peacock, who watched from the bench last Sunday.

"I had played a few games there when I first broke into the first team but I have played most of my games at Valley Parade.

"I knew I wasn't going to be able to play but it was only when we were there and the game and all the pre-match stuff was going on that I realised how much missing it would mean.

"It looked like a great day for all the fans and I look forward to making

a return to Odsal as soon as possible."