Much-improved Matt James is finally making the most of his Super League opportunities.

The young prop has played in four of the last five games, enjoying his first regular stint of senior football and impressing off the bench.

James, 20, made his debut at Hull last May but made just two more brief appearances, didn't feature at all during the first four months of the current campaign and looked well out of favour.

Boss Steve McNamara admitted there was doubts about the player's make-up but he has responded in the best possible manner.

Injuries handed the Wakefield-based forward a shot at Huddersfield in May and he grasped it fully, missing just one fixture since.

McNamara said: "At the start of the year, Matt was walking a tightrope and was in danger of falling off one side or the other.

"But, to be fair to him, he has really knuckled down, and over these last five or six weeks has really progressed.

"He's not had as much game-time as he'd like - or I'd like either - but he's making a great impact off the bench.

"Matt's finally come to realise he can possibly be a good player, have a good career and I'm really pleased for him."

James, contracted until 2009, has been up against gnarled Great Britain props like Great Britain's Jamie Peacock and Garreth Carvell in recent weeks as he goes to war with Super League's big enforcers but he has never looked out of place. He admitted: "I have been enjoying it, getting a bit more of a chance with Fevs (Chris Feather) being out for a while and Cooky (Matt Cook) too.

"I've not had much game-time but as soon as I've got on I've generally done all right.

"I've been coming on a lot in the second half and I think for me it's the right thing.

"I don't want to be out there right from the start, I can see the others getting tired and a fresh pair of legs at that stage is just what a team needs."

More purposeful going forward than last year and stronger defensively, James has polished up his game and attitude from the raw 2006 beginner, picking up plenty from his front-row colleagues.

"With Lynchy, Joe (Vagana) and Sam (Burgess) around, I've been doing a bit more individual training with them and it seems to be rubbing off," he said, having vowed to prove his worth.

"At the start of the year I knew it'd be a big task to get in. I just had to keep my head down, train hard and take the chance when I got it.

"I'm still only 20 but I know I have to try and make it now and there's no better club to do that with than Bradford."

The player has now nudged in front of fellow rookie prop Craig Kopczak in the pecking order, an Academy team-mate for the last four years.

"There's been a healthy rivalry between me and Koppy, and I know I have to keep training hard and doing as well as I can," he said.

"There is an added incentive for me as well because I know if my form does go down, there's someone else there waiting to jump in, just like I did."

After losing at the Galpharm Stadium, James has featured in wins over Harlequins, Catalans, Hull and the classic victory at Headingley Carnegie last Friday.

They head to Wigan on Friday night hoping to make it six successes on the bounce and James concedes it's a fantastic time to be a Bull.

"It was great playing at Leeds and the week before against Hull as well," he said.

"There've been some massive games. It's been really good playing in front of sell-out crowds like that and it just makes you want to play more.

"We've got another on Friday night at Wigan. Hopefully I'll be in again and we can back up what we did at Leeds."