MARK Dunning prefers his current half-back headache to the one he suffered during the troubled end to last season.

The Bulls coach named all four for yesterday’s planned friendly against Huddersfield - which fell victim to the weather.

Dec Patton was due to get his first run-out after serving the mammoth seven-game ban for his eye gouge against Halifax in the Summer Bash last year.

Tom Holmes, Jordan Lilley and Myles Lawford were also in the 21-man squad for the Giants clash.

But having switched the game from Odsal, the frozen pitch at Dewsbury was also deemed unsafe to play on.

Bulls fans did not get to see how Dunning will juggle his resources in the halves - but the head coach is happy to have so much choice.

“At times last year I’d have bitten your hand off for four half backs,” he told Bulls TV. “If you look at the last eight weeks of the season, I think we played without a spine.

“With young George (Flanagan junior) making his debut and playing in there at full back, while people like Sammy Hallas, massive credit to him, did us a job at half.

“We couldn’t buy a half back. We couldn’t get one to stay on the field.

“If you could have given me four at the back end of last year, I don’t think the ninth position would have been as it was.

“It’s brilliant to see now. They get on really well, although there is a competitive edge between the four of them.

“They are absolutely fighting for spots but there’s a mutual respect between all four as well and that’s great to see.”

The Bulls have one final friendly against Leeds next week at Headingley before Whitehaven visit Odsal for the Championship curtain-raiser on February 5.

Dunning said: “Nobody in Rugby League is absolutely 100 per cent in first round games they play in the season.”