Talk to anyone in the game about Bradford Bulls and the soundbites are always the same: “Great club – used to win everything – have declined badly in recent years – when are they going to start competing again?”

Well, perhaps 2012 could be the year. After three seasons of failing to make the Super League play-offs, and finishing a woeful tenth in 2011, things could hardly get any worse at Odsal.

Yet the pain of last term has gradually given way to optimism – and with good reason.

Mick Potter will enjoy his first full pre-season as Bulls coach following the disruption of last year and will go into next year’s campaign armed with six new signings.

Centres Keith Lulia and Adrian Purtell and prop Manase Manuokafoa have been recruited from the NRL.

Half-back Luke Gale has signed from Harlequins to add some much-needed creativity, while Jarrod Sammut and Elliot Kear will similarly bolster the Bulls’ attacking options following their arrival from Crusaders.

Enough to make Potter’s men a far stronger proposition? You would certainly think so.

“The feeling is that the squad itself is stronger,” said assistant coach Francis Cummins.

“The Matt Orford situation clearly didn’t help us last season and we were struggling for a good 12 rounds in the halves.

“Even in the first game against Leeds Rhinos we had no idea how we were going to perform, although we did some good stuff that day.

“Now, with the signings we have made, we have complemented what we already have and I believe we are in significantly stronger position than last year.

“We’ve got a little bit of depth and competition for places in the halves and the centres – all over the pitch really, with Manase coming into the pack.

“We are going to have to do better because players are competing for places. That can only make the club stronger.”

Cummins, who was right-hand man to Tony Smith and then Brian McClennan at Leeds, brought to an end a 17-year stint with the Rhinos when he joined Bradford ahead of last season.

The 2011 campaign was a tough introduction to life at Odsal for Cummins – and indeed Potter – but the former Headingley stalwart has no regrets about making the switch.

Cummins, a positive person by nature, is already looking forward to next term with optimism flooding through his veins.

He said: “That optimism has never left me from the moment I walked through the door at Bradford. From the people in the offices to our young players, everything here is geared towards success.

“Look at our training facility at Tong, which is as good as anything you will find either here or Down Under.

“But it’s not going to pay off overnight. I spent most of my career at Leeds waiting for success.

“I had many years at Headingley and it was only in the penultimate season that we won the Super League title. It was the club’s first championship in 32 years. It takes time to create the right environment and you have to keep the faith.”

Cummins certainly has faith in Gale, having worked with him at Leeds, and Kear, who caught his eye a couple of years ago.

Cummins, who was deployed at full back, wing and centre during his distinguished playing career at Leeds, has developed into one of Super League’s foremost attack coaches and is looking forward to being reunited with Gale.

“I coached Luke at Leeds and sometimes the year you were born can count against you,” said the 34-year-old.

“Luke had players like Rob Burrow, Danny McGuire and Kevin Sinfield in front of him – and they were well in front of him, to be fair.

“But Luke showed real character to keep on playing. He went to Doncaster and then backed himself at Harlequins, where he established himself in Super League.

“I’m sure a lesser character would have dropped down and been happy to pick up part-time money for playing.

“It’s easier when things are going well but even when it wasn’t he was still involved in everything that was good about Harlequins.”

Gale can play scrum half and stand-off, so which role does Cummins see him performing at Odsal?

He said: “To be fair, I don’t see too much difference. We are expecting him to do a bit of both because he has the intelligence, creativity and the kicking game to do that.”