An air of uncertainty has the Bulls thriving ahead of the new campaign.

Following an off-season of drastic change, nothing can be taken for granted at Odsal, especially in terms of team selection.

Bradford will start 2011 with one of the largest first-team squads in Super League after a huge winter intake has swelled their ranks to 33 players.

It stands in stark contrast to the limited resources available last season, when Andy Lynch admits too many players were sure of their place in the starting line-up.

New coach Mick Potter has wiped the slate clean and even vastly experienced prop Lynch insists he is not sure of selection for the Super League opener against Leeds on February 13.

He said: “That was the first thing Mick said. In the first meeting he told us we’ve got a big squad now and there’s going to be competition for places.

“Last year some players were guaranteed places whether they were playing well or playing badly.

“Even in training when people are competing against each other, that can only bring the best out of you, looking over your shoulder thinking ‘what can I do to improve?’

“You know there’s always somebody behind you looking to take your place or you’re looking to take someone else’s place. The general competition brings the best out of us and will stand us in good stead for the start of the year.”

The Bulls look particularly strong up front, where Lynch will be joined by Nick Scruton, Bryn Hargreaves and Craig Kopczak in the battle for a spot as front-line prop.

Steve Crossley and Tom Burgess provide capable back-up, while Olivier Elima, Jamie Langley and Glenn Hall can also be called on when needed.

Similar depth is available across the field and, with the foundations in place, Lynch believes the onus is on the players to deliver.

“The club have done all they can do now and it’s time for us to show what we can do,” he said.

“We need to keep training hard and get as fit as we can for the start of the year. We also need to be mentally strong from now throughout training in preparation for that first game.

“We need to start well and put in the performances to repay the 10,000 fans who have bought season tickets. They’ve put their faith in us so it’s time for us to do our bit.”

Confidence has soared since last season’s disastrous tenth-place finish but Lynch has been cautious not to let it go to his head.

The initial priority for the Bulls is to ensure a vast improvement in performances, rather than setting hard and fast targets in terms of league position.

Lynch said: “Every team goes out every year and says ‘we’re going to win Super League’ and it’s hard to do that. Firstly, we need to make a big improvement on what we did last year.

“The players we’ve brought in are quality, we’ve got strength in depth and we don’t have any superstars, which means we’re not just relying on one person like we maybe have in the past. We’ve got good, solid players with a lot of skill to boot.”