JIMMY Lowes will have the Bulls “exceptionally fit and motivated” for tomorrow’s opening friendly against Castleford.

That is the view of Tigers boss Daryl Powell, who will hand a first appearance to former Bradford scrum-half Luke Gale in the testimonial match for Andy Lynch.

The Bulls have been in training since early October and Powell believes this weekend’s clash will provide a stern test for both sides.

“I know Jimmy and he is a pretty hard taskmaster,” said the former Leeds coach.

“He will be ripping into his guys so we know they will be exceptionally fit and motivated.

“Bradford knew they were relegated quite early on and as a result weren’t in the play-offs, so they have been training pretty hard for a long time now.

“I think for them to play well against us would be great for Bradford and the position they are in at the moment.

“We need to make sure we’re ready for it because it will be a tough game.”

Powell enjoyed a successful spell in the Championship as Featherstone coach before taking the reins at Castleford in May 2013.

He is excited about the new structure but says the Bulls face a huge challenge to bounce straight back into Super League.

Powell added: “It will be tough for them to get back up, there’s no doubt about that, particularly with Leigh in that division.

“Leigh look a dangerous team and then you’ve got the likes of London, Featherstone, Halifax and Sheffield.

“It’s going to be an interesting competition but I think Bradford have got the right coach, have recruited pretty well and have been training hard.

“This new structure spices rugby league up a bit and it will be interesting to see how it all pans out.”

New Bulls recruit Dan Fleming is currently sidelined with a knee injury following his close-season move from Castleford.

But Powell said: “Going to Bradford is perfect for Dan, to be honest.

“The Bulls are now playing in the Championship and I think it will be good for the next stage of Dan’s development.

“He had a little bit of time in the Championship on dual-registration at Batley and then he got quite a few Super League games under his belt.

“I think the most important thing is the fact he will be working with Jimmy Lowes in a competition which probably fits him perfectly at the moment.

“Hopefully Dan will be able to kick on and have a really strong career in Super League if and when Bradford do get back up there.”