If 2014 is to be Matt Diskin’s last season in Super League, and there is every chance it will be, then he wants to go out with a bang.

As a four-time Grand Final winner with Leeds, the Bulls joint-captain is one of the most decorated players in the top flight.

That experience will be vital for coach Francis Cummins this coming season following the departure of Diskin’s co-skipper Heath L’Estrange.

In a hooking triumvirate of Diskin, Adam O’Brien and Nathan Conroy, the former Rhinos star is the senior man by some distance.

The 31-year-old arrived from Headingley ahead of the 2011 campaign and in June he penned a new one-year deal which keeps him at the Provident Stadium until the end of 2014.

Diskin said: “I’m that age where you get the bumps and bruises and was a little bit unlucky with some medical bits and pieces last year, which hindered my game and my form.

“So hopefully I will get a big pre-season under my belt and start the season well.

“That means setting a good example to these two talented young hookers we have coming through. I’ve got that experience which obviously brings something to the table.

“Adam has been knocking on the door for a couple of years and is going to get his chance to show what he’s made of. It’s a real sink or swim situation but I’m sure he’ll swim because he’s a fantastic player.

“Nathan Conroy is very raw but very talented and, after a couple of years learning the game, he will be ready too.

“I think Nathan will be pushing for a few games. You look at the reality of Super League now and it’s a tough competition where injuries occur right across the field.

“He has just got to get himself in the best possible shape and pick up everything from the people around him so when he does get that chance he can grab it with both hands.”

Diskin is a family man and has numerous business interests away from the game but his love for rugby league runs deep.

He is interested in the idea of staying in the game in a coaching capacity when he hangs up his boots.

Diskin said: “I love the game because it’s given me so much. I wouldn’t be in the position I am without rugby league, so I want to give something back.

“I’ve always been intrigued about the development of players, whether that’s working with the under-19s or within the Academy structure. That’s something I’ll look at in a few months’ time.

“I’ve coached throughout my whole career with all my local amateur teams, so it’s not something I’ve just started thinking about now.

“That’s a conversation for when it comes round to contract time, so at the moment I’m just concentrating on my game and not worrying about what’s happening after that.

“It only seems two minutes ago that I was making my debut 12 years ago. It flies by so you’ve got to enjoy every minute while you can.

“You hear Franny preaching about making the most of what you’ve got and taking your opportunities. You’ve got to start listening to him because times flies.

“I’m trying to grasp every game I can because I don’t know when my last game will be.”

For a man who grew so accustomed to success during his long spell at Headingley, Diskin has yet to make the play-offs since joining the Bulls.

It is something he wants to put right this coming season, saying: “It’s been very disappointing not to achieve what you set out to do.

“But the bigger picture is that we’re a new club and only 12 months old when you consider we’ve had to redevelop and reconstruct.

“It’s not about this next 12 months, although we want to be successful. It’s about make sure we bring through some very talented kids in the right environment who can kick this club on to success for the next ten to 15 years.

“You can sometimes get blind-sided by short-termism because Bradford did that and it put them in the position they were.

“We need to lay the foundations as well as competing for the play-offs and we want to get our hands on that Challenge Cup. This year we will be striving for everything we can.”