The Bulls will have to get down and dirty to start picking up points, according to Glenn Hall.

Physical contact is evidently not an issue for Bradford’s uncompromising pack, who muscled up well against Huddersfield Giants, but the Aussie second-rower admits their ground work must improve.

Hall and his team-mates were clearly second-best at the ruck in last week’s season-opening defeat at the Galpharm Stadium, allowing their rivals to control the speed of the play-the-ball.

But the winter signing from Manly insists a bit of tweaking would have brought a different outcome and expects the Bulls to be more savvy against St Helens at Odsal on Sunday.

“Our forward pack likes the physical stuff, we’re not afraid to get in there, hit in numbers and hit hard,” said Hall.

“We’ve just got to work a little bit more on the ground. Huddersfield really work hard on the ground and we’ve got to get that into our game.

“The boys themselves were very disappointed because we knew there were a lot of opportunities in that game we could’ve capitalised on.

“The boys are annoyed with themselves and I’m really annoyed with what went on and I can’t wait to play this week to hopefully right the wrongs.”

Hall had seriously mixed feelings about his Bulls debut – plenty of good work at Huddersfield undone by basic errors.

The powerful 28-year-old was culpable himself and knows it will take a huge improvement in discipline to defeat Grand Finalists Saints at Odsal.

Hall said: “I was guilty myself of a few errors. We’ve trained for those this year, we shouldn’t be doing those things and we shot ourselves in the foot.

“It makes it hard working out of your own end to defend those things back-to-back. So we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. They were just concentration lapses.

“Overall I thought we worked out of our own end well and we were tearing straight up the field. We did 100-metre sets a fair few times.

“There’s no trouble of actually getting there, it’s just finding the structure and the discipline to actually hold onto the ball.”

Hall has the added bonus of a home debut to look forward to on Sunday and can’t wait to run out in front of the Bulls’ faithful.

He said: “Hopefully we get a big turnout and hopefully the sun’s shining!

“The fans were awesome at Huddersfield. It’s sometimes really hard to hear out on the field but they were nice and loud so hopefully we’ll get that again.

“I can’t wait to play at Odsal but it’s going to be a really tough game.

“St Helens haven’t been in the Grand Final for the last three years for no reason.

“Hopefully if we do our things right and concentrate on our game, well do well against them. They’re a great side all the way across the park so we need to be ready for them.”

Saints have been beset by a string of injury problems ahead of their trip to Odsal.

Mick Potter is still counting the cost of his side’s 32-12 home defeat to Hull FC, with two key backs facing lengthy spells on the sidelines. Winger Ade Gardner will be out of action for at least six weeks after suffering multiple rib cartilage fractures in the season opener, with teenager Jonny Lomax ready to step in against the Bulls.

Centre Sia Soliola, an off-season arrival from Sydney Roosters, is also out for up to four weeks after tearing ankle ligaments on his full debut.

Another youngster, 20-year-old Gary Wheeler, is likely to move from wing to centre to replace the big Kiwi.

But Saints have been boosted by the news that Francis Meli is available after returning from compassionate leave.

The Kiwi international will partner Wheeler on the left side.

Influential prop James Graham has also been passed fit to play, a scan revealing he had a badly-bruised sternum rather than a break.

Back-rower Tony Puletua will also play despite picking up a slight knock in the Hull FC defeat.