BULLS face a long trip to Cumbria just ONE day before their Betfred Championship season begins at home to Whitehaven.

But fear not, as this is not some disastrous plan to run the players into the ground.

Instead, it will be a 'select' Bradford Bulls side making the trip up to Derwent Park on Saturday, February 4 to take on League 1 side Workington Town.

None of those taking part in that game up in Cumbria will be playing the following day at Odsal against Whitehaven.

Bulls already have pre-season friendlies against Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Leeds arranged for this month, but did not play on December 26, as is tradition for the club.

Explaining the reasoning behind the Workington game, Bulls head coach Mark Dunning said: "We would’ve played Boxing Day if we could, as then we would have been able to give all the lads the game time we wanted.

"We will take a large squad to Dewsbury, then less to Huddersfield and then less to Leeds so there will be those lads who are on the periphery who we would’ve liked to have been able to give more game time to.

"Now we will travel to Workington on February 4 to make up for that.

"Our reserves head coach Leigh Beattie will take a team up of those not selected in the 21-man squad for Whitehaven for a really meaningful trial game against a really good Workington Town team."