After failing to make the play-offs since 2008 and flirting with oblivion last year, the Bulls’ form in the first half of 2013 is not to be sniffed at.

They stuffed then leaders Huddersfield on their own turf, claimed a highly impressive draw at Leeds and have generally had few problems accounting for the lesser lights in Super League.

Heading into tonight’s home clash with the Rhinos, Francis Cummins’ emerging young team lie sixth at the midway point in the campaign.

Yet Matt Diskin is unequivocal.

“We’re not where we need to be and we’re not where we want to be,” said the Bulls’ joint-captain, who served Leeds with distinction for over a decade.

“We have made progress and we really believe we’re going in the right direction. But there is plenty of room for improvement.

“The play-offs are the minimum this club needs to achieve and we want to build a competitive team that can not just make the play-offs but compete in them too.

“But we’ve got a big learning curve to negotiate if we want to be competitive in those play-offs.”

The Bulls have fallen short in their past two games against Wigan and Warrington.

Diskin added: “The frustrating but reassuring thing is that we know we can compete with these teams.

“Our decision-making hasn’t been the smartest and we need to pick up on that because there are opportunities there.

“We’re just not taking them and the margins are so small.”

Warrington dominated the ruck area last weekend and Diskin admitted: “The ruck is massive for any game and Warrington were better than us last weekend.

“When it’s being played too fast it can be hard to address your shape defensively and then it’s hard to get forward.

“But you also need some quick play-the-balls to play off because it’s hard behind a slow ruck.

“The front row has been fantastic this year and provided that the majority of the time.

“Last weekend, Warrington were very efficient at controlling the speed of the ruck. That drowned us out of the game.”

In 2004, Diskin helped Leeds to their first championship in 32 years and went on to taste Grand Final glory again in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

He crossed the great divide to join Bradford ahead of the 2011 campaign but remains close to a number of former Leeds team-mates.

“I spent 12 years at the club and grew up with lads there since I was 16, so everybody keeps in touch,” said Diskin, who says he remains undecided about his future beyond this season when his contract expires.

“The majority of that side came through the Academy together so we played together from 16 onwards.

“Everybody knew each other inside out and we won three or four Academy Grand Finals on the bounce and then came through into the first-team at the same time.

“That side from the late Nineties and into the early years of the Millennium was a unique batch of kids. A lot of credit for that has to go people at the club such as Gary Hetherington, Dean Bell and Daryl Powell.

“They really put the foundations in place for the club to grow, which is not too dissimilar to the young talent here at Bradford that Franny is trying to put his faith in.

“That will bear fruit in the next two to three years and won’t happen immediately – it’s a rollercoaster the first couple of years when you’ve got young kids in.

“But it gives them some great experience to build on and become fantastic players in a fantastic team.”