WITH the way Lewis Charnock has shaped up in his first two appearances for the Bulls, it would be no surprise to see his initial 28-day loan extended.

In fact, with his contract at St Helens due to expire at the end of the year, it would be no surprise to see him offered a permanent deal at Odsal.

Perhaps it is a little early to be looking so far ahead – but speak to the man himself and he is already eyeing an extended stay.

"My contract at Saints is up at the end of the year and, as things stand, I'm looking for a club for next season," said the 21-year-old scrum half.

"I'm really enjoying myself at Bradford and I just have to keep performing to a high standard and then see what happens.

"You look at lads like Lee Gaskell and Matty Blythe, who have moved to Bradford from Super League clubs.

"They have established themselves here and done really well, so hopefully I can get out of my comfort zone and do something similar."

Charnock hails from Warrington and has been on St Helens' books since the age of 14.

He credits Saints' renowned youth production system for making him the player he is today.

With first-team opportunities scarce at Langtree Park this year, he has enjoyed a brief loan spell at Leigh earlier this term before coming on board at Bradford.

In two games so far, he has scored two tries in two wins against Workington and Oldham for Rohan Smith's side.

"Rohan has put me straight in the team and hopefully I stay there and keep helping Bradford,"said Charnock.

"He came to see me play in a reserve game for Saints against Hull FC and then my agent rang me and said Rohan wanted me to come to Bradford to show what I can do.

"Rohan texted me to say 'could we meet tonight for a little chat in a coffee shop before you start tomorrow', so we did and I started on the Tuesday.

"It's tough coming straight in and learning all the plays – but it has gone better than I expected and Rohan is a top bloke and a very positive person.

"Things are going well and the more I play, the more experience I get."

Charnock has twice shown impressive strength to outmuscle the opposition defence and cross the line in the past two games.

He relishes the physicality of rugby league, saying: "My running game is one of my strengths but I'm not one to shy away from the physical side of rugby either. I actually enjoy it.

"I played on dual-reg for Rochdale last season but the Championship is a much better standard.

"The expectations are a lot higher because you're full-time and you want to push on and get into Super League.

"The higher the level, the better you're going to become as a player and you want to challenge yourself as much as possible.

"There are some fantastic players here at Bradford to learn from.

"How does the Bulls' squad compare to Leigh?

"Leigh are sitting top of the table but I don't think they have had as many injuries as Bradford have had.

"They are both top-quality squads who should be challenging to get into Super League come the end of the year."

Charnock has played at Odsal for St Helens in academy games but tomorrow's visit of Batley will be his first appearance at senior level.

He said: "I can't wait to get out there. We've had two games in the past week but we need to come out flying against Batley with loads of energy and hopefully come out on top."