HAVING spent 13 years playing for the Bulls, Jamie Langley's eagerness to turn out for Sheffield Eagles at Odsal this weekend is understandable.

For so long a mainstay of the Bradford side, through the good times and the bad, the 31-year-old left for Hull KR at the end of 2013.

He played for Rovers against the Bulls at Craven Park last March but missed the return game at Odsal through injury and is desperate to feature on Sunday.

Langley missed Sheffield's victory over Halifax last weekend with a groin strain but is finally over the knee injury which wrecked his time at Hull KR.

"I'd like to think I've got a good chance of playing this week," said the popular forward, who joined Bradford from Normanton Knights as a 16-year-old after leaving school.

"It would be a massive game for me personally, being back at Odsal, and I'd love to be out there.

"After my knee injury last season, I basically didn't do any pre-season this year. Then I got the all-clear from the specialist and did a couple of training sessions with the team before playing my first game.

"The matches, as such, have been my conditioning and getting my body used to playing and training again.

"I've been enjoying it and have been coming on slowly but surely. Hopefully in the coming weeks I should be back to full form."

Langley helped the Bulls to Grand Final glory in 2005 and World Club Challenge wins over Penrith in 2004 and Wests Tigers in 2006.

He joined Sheffield at the end of last season in a player-coach role and is enjoying life under long-serving Eagles boss Mark Aston.

Aston and Langley watched on at the Keepmoat Stadium last Sunday as the Bulls overcame Doncaster before Sheffield beat Halifax convincingly immediately afterwards.

Langley said: "We saw the Bulls game and afterwards a few of our lads said 'they're leaking a few points'. They leaked 50 against Hull KR and another 38 at Doncaster, but offensively they seem to be outscoring teams.

"They've got a lot of dynamic players and they seem to be able to score at will. But they are leaking a few points, so it's something which is encouraging for teams coming up against them. We're looking forward to testing our mettle against them this week."

Does Langley believe his old club are destined for promotion this year?

He said: "I honestly don't know. I think it will be tough.

"Recently in the Challenge Cup, ourselves, Bradford, Halifax and Leigh played Super League sides.

"Although they were close games in the main, there was still a bit of a gulf in class between the Super League and the Championship.

"Anything can happen in one-off games at the end of the year, but I still think that on paper the Super League teams have an advantage with their financial clout and everything else that goes with it.

"But when you're a full-time side like Leigh and Bradford are, there is no reason why you can't go out there and compete.

"Bradford have got as good a chance as any and it would be nice to see them go back up. They certainly won't want to be spending too many years in the Championship."

Victory for Aston's part-timers would see them draw level with Bradford on 18 points and Langley feels there is plenty more to come from his side.

He said: "We've not particularly played brilliantly for the first half of the season. We've had a few decent performances and have probably been a bit like Bradford.

"We've picked up a few wins where we've been scrappy with the ball but just managed to come out on top.

"But this month we've played Featherstone, Leigh, Halifax and now Bradford, so maybe some of the lads have had their eyes on that and we do seem to be hitting a bit of form now.

"We're four points clear of Featherstone and Dewsbury, so there is a bit of breathing space there, and we enjoy having a crack at the full-time teams and challenging ourselves."

Langley pinpoints backs Quentin Laulu-Togagae and Rob Worrincy and forward Eddie Battye as Sheffield's most influential performers so far this term.

But he insisted: "It has been a real team effort. Everyone is pulling together and we've got a great team spirit – the lads go out there and fight tooth and nail for each other every week."

Sheffield are playing their home games at the Keepmoat Stadium this season ahead of a proposed move to a new state-of-the-art community stadium in the Olympic Legacy Park in 2016.

Langley said: "It's a great club to be at and I've really enjoyed my time here. Hopefully we'll get the new stadium next year because it will be nice to have a home where we can play and train and call our own.

"Tubbs (Aston) does a great job and all the lads love the club and pulling on the Sheffield shirt. The goal, eventually, is to get into Super League, although it might not happen for another few years.

"With the new stadium in place, if we can keep getting in the middle eight and build a squad, then in two or three years' time we can be where Bradford and Leigh are now in terms of having a full-time environment and then realistically being able to challenge to get into Super League.

"I think we'll have a good crack at it now and we'd back ourselves against anyone on our day, but I think this season could be one or two years' too soon."

Langley combines his playing and coaching commitments at Sheffield with working as a personal trainer.

"I'm predominantly playing, that's my priority, but helping out with the coaching as well," he explained.

"It's a good environment and I enjoy it, so I'm just trying to get as much experience as I can and I'm keen to learn.

"I'd like to play on for as long as I can and then stay in the game and give something back when I finally retire."