JAMES Donaldson just knew his Hull KR team would be pitted against the Bulls in the Challenge Cup fifth round.

"I was actually with a few of the Bradford boys on the day the draw was made," said the former Odsal star.

"I said 'wait and see later, it will be Bradford versus Hull KR'."

They were prophetic words.

That Rovers were drawn away has ensured an emotionally fraught occasion for Donaldson on Sunday as he makes his first return to the club where he made his name.

"The lads at Bradford were the first people to text me when the tie came out of the hat," he said.

"It's an exciting time for me to go back there and try and put in a good performance, although obviously in a different jersey."

The tough-tackling Cumbrian made his Bulls debut aged 17 and showed impressive fortitude to fight back from two career-threatening knee injuries and establish himself as a first-team regular.

When the Bulls were relegated, he signed a two-year deal with Chris Chester's new-look side.

Donaldson recalled: "Bradford were great to me when I was there. I've got a lot of friends there who I keep in touch with.

"But at the end of the day, moving clubs was what I had to do for my career and I've not regretted it.

"I'm loving my time at Hull KR and am looking forward to enjoying some success with them in the future.

"I still live in Leeds and commute to Hull every day with Tyrone McCarthy, Adam Walker, Shaun Lunt and Benny Cockayne. We bought a car together and have a really good laugh travelling over."

Donaldson caught up with his old team-mates at the recent Bulls v Workington league fixture and remains close to the likes of Danny Addy.

"I saw Danny was giving me a bit of a call-out in the paper last week by saying we're not friends on the field!" said the 23-year-old loose forward.

"We've had a bit of a laugh and a joke about that but it will be nice to play against him because we've been such good mates for years.

"It will be quite strange actually but like Danny said, we don't have to be mates on the field.

"It will be pretty emotional for me because that's where it all started for me and where I came through the ranks.

"Obviously it's a new chapter in my career now, so I want to go there and put a performance on for Hull KR. That's my aim."

Donaldson dislocated his thumb during the opening-day defeat against Leeds but he only missed four games and has since impressed for Chester's side.

He was sidelined for last Saturday's defeat at Castleford with a minor knock but is confident of being passed fit to face the Bulls.

Donaldson was one of over a dozen new signings at Craven Park during the off-season but Chester has quickly blended his new-look side into a well-motivated force.

The Odsal old boy said: "The way the team has gelled in the past few games has been pretty promising. We weren't sure at first how things would go with the amount of players we brought in but everyone has come together and it has showed in the results.

"I've been pretty pleased with how I've been playing and my attacking game has been getting stronger too, which is something I've tried to concentrate on in the off-season.

"The only problem I had was breaking my thumb in the first game of the season, which was just my luck wasn't it?

"The good thing was that it didn't stop me running, it just prevented me doing weights which saw me lose a bit of size.

"It was tough to pick up where I had started from after a good pre-season. But I'm starting to get back there and enjoy my rugby again, as well as putting on a bit more weight.

"It makes it a lot easier when you're playing with some good lads and picking up some good results.

"Chris Chester is a great bloke, very down to earth, and is not too much older than some of our players.

"That's what you want – someone who can you speak to and get on with. The way he and Willie Poching handle the squad has been great.

"I'm sure their experience will pay off further down the line as well."

Rovers are neatly positioned at seventh in the Super League table and their array of attacking talent, such as half-backs Terry Campese and Albert Kelly, should give the Bulls plenty to think about on Sunday.

"There are some freaks in the team and all credit to Chez and (chief executive) Mike Smith for getting those players in," said Donaldson.

"They're not easy players to entice here when they're scoring tries for fun in the NRL.

"But they're absolutely loving it and I think that shows with Terry Campese recently signing a two-year contract extension.

"As captain, Campese wants to be the core of the team for the next few years and he and the other lads from the NRL lead by example with how they conduct themselves.

"They know the right things to say and Terry has been great for all the boys and treats everyone the same.

"Shaun Lunt, another Cumbrian lad, has been outstanding. He's given us a massive boost and is playing 80 minutes every week."

Donaldson has impressed off the bench and added: "I think everyone wants to start games but I'm quite happy coming off the bench at the moment as I did it for years at Bradford.

"I nailed a starting spot at loose forward before I left but I'm happy with the way things are going so far.

"I've spoken to Chez and I think he like me coming off the bench and giving the team some energy and enthusiasm. If he's happy with that, then so am I."