ROBBIE Hunter-Paul insists there is an “appetite” from the Bulls to rearrange their pre-season friendly with Huddersfield after it fell victim to the weather yesterday.

The club had issued a rallying call to supporters to help clear the snow from the playing surface ahead of a scheduled pitch inspection at midday by referee Ben Thaler.

But, with the pitch covered in snow and frozen underneath, the Bulls took the decision to call the game off shortly after 11am.

The match would have been Huddersfield’s first friendly and Paul Anderson’s men now have only a trip to Halifax scheduled this Sunday for the rest of their pre-season campaign.

Huddersfield’s managing director Richard Thewlis said the Bulls had turned down the Giants’ offer to rearrange yesterday’s game for tonight, tomorrow or Wednesday.

But Hunter-Paul said: “We are looking at rearranging the game but we have a busy schedule.

“Obviously we’ve got Jamie Peacock’s testimonial on Sunday and the boys have a few days away training at the army camp at the end of the month.

“We’re not going to upset that applecart but Steve Ferres is in discussions with Jimmy Lowes about rearranging it and I think Huddersfield definitely have an appetite for it.

“They have yet to have a run-out and you need at least two or three high-quality games before the start of the season.

“There is an appetite all round to rearrange the game but it’s just whether it is logistically feasible to do so between now and the start of the season.

“We’re looking at every angle – to the extent of maybe even playing it in the next couple of days.”

However, Thewlis claimed the Bulls had turned down Huddersfield’s suggestion to play the game early this week and Hunter-Paul admitted there were other factors to consider.

After Jamie Peacock’s testimonial match on Sunday, the Bulls have two free weekends before their Championship opener at Leigh on February 15.

Hunter-Paul said: “We have a couple of weekends free but the only issue we’ve got there is that there is a certain science applied to how the boys train now.

“The coaching staff take them into certain little peaks and troughs so that their energy levels are at their maximum for the opening game against Leigh.

“Quite a few things need to be taken into account so Jimmy is going to have to look at it and maybe juggle things around.

“When I played, they gave me a ball and told me to put my boots on and go out and play. Now, with the science involved, it’s about keeping the players fit and healthy to deliver their best on matchdays.

“There are a whole heap of factors that need to be considered when deciding what is best for the Bradford Bulls’ first-team.”

The Bulls’ match against Huddersfield was the only pre-season fixture to be called off yesterday, with matches at Leigh, Batley, Hunslet, Doncaster, St Helens and Hull all taking place.

The club do not own a set of covers that would have protected the pitch but Hunter-Paul said player and spectator safety was paramount.

He said: “The RFL have a set of covers which you can borrow but you have to book them months in advance, so we might have to look at purchasing some ourselves.

“But at the end of the day, sometimes even the covers don’t do the job because it can get that cold that the ground can freeze beneath the covers.

“We would have made money if the game had been played but the safety of players and supporters comes first.

“We had a fantastic turnout from quite a number of supporters who volunteered to help clear the pitch just in case it was able to go ahead.

“Not only was the pitch covered in snow but it was also frozen solid underneath.”