I CAN'T tell you enough how frustrating it was for me on Sunday to have to sit and watch the team lose at Warrington.

I had to pull out of the game at the eleventh hour with a knee injury.

I collided with another player in training on Saturday and I didn't think there would be a problem but it flared up overnight and was very stiff on Sunday.

I had a fitness test just before the game but I couldn't run on it at all.

So I had to sit it out. I felt that I had left the team in the lurch a bit but if you can't run, you can't play rugby league.

I thought that the sending off of Graeme Bradley was the turning point in the game

Up to then we were very much the better side and we were playing to the pattern we had worked on in training.

But when Graeme went off we lost our shape and our composure. I thought the decision was a little harsh, perhaps a yellow card or a penalty would have been more appropriate but it certainly cost us dear.

Wigan are here tonight, Friday, and I hope that I will be fit to face them.

I haven't done any running so far this week but I will have to do some today.

Wigan is always the biggest game of the season and no-one likes to miss out against them.

They have some very good players and they are playing well at the moment but Sheffield Eagles and my old club Leeds, have shown they can be beaten.

We have quite a few injury doubts and it could be that a few youngsters from the Academy side will have to step up.

Whoever plays will be giving their best shot and as it is at Odsal, I think we will win.

Steve McNamara goes into tonight's game needing only four points to have a career total of 900.

I have told him that he will have to score a try or, with the way his goalkicking is going, it could be another couple of months before he reaches that milestone.

Did anyone see the Academy on Sky on Tuesday? I thought that the feature on Paul Deacon and the elite squad training was superb.

All the coaching staff take part in these Thursday sessions at the Yorkshire Martyrs School and it is tremendous to see all those youngsters from all over the north coming for coaching at the Bulls.

It does make a difference when it comes to signing for a club and the Bulls youth policy is now starting to pay dividends.

Paul Deacon has already had a call-up for the England squad and Stuart Fielden is very close to a first team call-up.

With what is happening with the elite squad, I am sure there will be many more coming through soon.

Make sure you come to the game tonight. They don't come any bigger than Wigan and we need your support.

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