Stuart Fielden had a rough time living in Halifax last season as the Blue Sox completed a Super League double over their neighbours.

And now he believes it's payback time as the Bulls look to consolidate their second spot on the ladder.

Fielden recalls: "I got my first senior call-up against Halifax last season but did not get a run. I played at the Shay though and I was given a hard time around Halifax after they beat us.

"A lot of my neighbours are Blue Sox fans and they certainly made the most of it.

"But we owe them one and I am really looking forward to this one. More than any other game I play this season I want the points from this one."

The game also gives the dynamic youngster the chance to press his claims for further international recognition on national television after impressing with the Great Britain Academy squad last season.

Blue Sox front-row pair Kelvin Skerrett and Paul Broadbent represent the old guard in Great Britain terms and the door would appear open for youngsters like Fielden to come through for this autumn's Tri-Series Down Under.

But the 19-year-old still feels he has some way to go.

"I think that might be a little early but I am very ambitious. My main aim this season was to secure a regular first team spot and that seems to be going pretty well.

"I missed the home game with Leeds due to an ankle injury and although it doesn't feel too bad it still isn't 100 per cent."

You certainly wouldn't have guessed it at Warrington on Sunday though when the common verdict was that he had produced his best performance of the season.

"I was pretty happy with it but I thought it reflected a much better team performance.

"It has put us in good sprits for tomorrow's game and despite the absence of Henry and Robbie we are in confident mood.

After the disappointment of missing out on Wembley, Fielden says the squad are even more determined to make it all the way to Old Trafford.

"I got injured in the first few minutes and managed to get through to about 20 minutes," said Fielden. "But being on the sidelines probably made the defeat even worse because I couldn't do anything about it.

"Funnily enough I didn't get too much stick around Halifax for that probably because they didn't get that far themselves."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.