Matt Calland realised a dream when Brian Smith took him from Featherstone Rovers to Bradford ahead of the 1996 season.

“One minute I was playing at Featherstone and working on a building site,” recalls the former centre, who as Rochdale’s assistant coach will cross swords with the Bulls in tomorrow’s Tetley’s Challenge Cup fourth-round tie.

“Four or five months later, I was helping the Bulls win a Challenge Cup semi-final against Leeds and reach Wembley, which was a childhood dream of mine.

“Soon after that I got picked in the England squad, so 1996 was a brilliant season for me.”

It was an exciting time for rugby league too as Super League was launched and the sport switched from winter to summer.

Bradford were at the heart of the revolution as Widnes-born Calland, 41, remembers: “Bullmania was an amazing thing to be involved in.

“Peter Deakin was trying all sorts of innovative things to boost the club’s fanbase and profile. There was a massive buzz around Odsal on game-day and the feeling out on the field was electric.

“The team the club had at the time was one of the best sides ever with people like Brian McDermott, Jimmy Lowes and Graeme Bradley, who was a tough old character. Then we brought in Tevita Vaikona on the wing and Sprucey (Stuart Spruce) at full back.

“The team got to Wembley in 1996 and everything just kick-started from there. The side that won the championship in 1997 was probably the most dominant Super League team ever.”

Calland was a surprise inclusion for the 1996 Cup semi-final against Leeds after being suspended for the previous three months.

“I came back from a big ban because I had been dismissed three times previously and they put me straight back in against Kevin Iro,” he said.

“He was one of my heroes and I used to watch him play for Wigan when I was growing up. The next thing I’m marking him in a Challenge Cup semi-final.

“He’s 6ft 4in and 18st but I actually managed to outplay him. I handed him off and scored in the corner in the first half and we went on to reach Wembley.”

The Bulls went on to lose the 1996 Challenge Cup final against St Helens and again the following year. Calland, who played in both finals, is forced to concede: “I never really fulfilled my potential.

“At the beginning of 1996 I was probably the form player in Super League. But I went on to pick up a back injury the following pre-season and could never run with the same force and speed again.”

Calland went on to play for Hull, Huddersfield and Rochdale, as well as coaching Halifax. He now combines playing for Rochdale Mayfield, his amateur club, with coaching duties at the Hornets and full-time job with the Rugby League Academy at Hopwood Hall College in Middleton.

The father of three, based in Littleborough, said: “Francis Cummins seems to have really galvanised Bradford. I like his brand of football and I’m delighted he was appointed as head coach.

“We know it’s going to be really tough tomorrow but we’re just going to go out and enjoy it and if we can compete for large periods of the game then we’ll be happy.

“We can then set that as our benchmark for the rest of the campaign. We need to get out of this league and our goal this season is promotion and nothing else.

“I actually played for Bradford the last time they met at Spotland and there was 5,000 there. This time we’re hoping for around 2,000.

“I love rugby league as much as ever and still live and breath the game. I’m involved in rugby league seven days a week.”