BRADFORD Bulls captain Michael Lawrence admits he was “devastated” by the club’s Betfred Championship play-off semi-final defeat in Toulouse last month.

But having had time to reflect, he can now appreciate how far the squad has come in the past year, and he thinks smart signings like Daniel Smith can only help push the club on to even greater heights in 2024.

Speaking to the T&A, Lawrence said: “Initially I was devastated to lose that semi-final, because I was confident we could go all the way and win the competition.

“But after a couple of weeks, once that raw emotion had left me, I reflected and was able to appreciate the massive progress we’ve made since I joined the club last November.

“With the individuals we’ve retained from the 2023 squad too, I’m confident we can have a great year in 2024.”

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: The play-off eliminator win over York last month was one of the most memorable matches at Odsal for a long time.The play-off eliminator win over York last month was one of the most memorable matches at Odsal for a long time. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Bulls return to pre-season training on November 20 under new head coach Eamon “Freddy” O’Carroll and Lawrence said: “After a long season, it’s good to have this time off and a bit of a break.

“But with some of the retentions and new signings we’ve made, we’re all very excited to get back in.

“We’ve got about a month of training before Christmas, then we’re pretty much straight into the friendlies.

“I’m looking forward to working with Freddy and seeing him implement his ideas with our squad.

“Because we’ve retained so many lads, and we made real progress last season, it’s not like we have to start from square one.

“But Freddy’s ideas can only make us even better, so that when we make the play-off semi-final next season, we’ll be winning that game.

“The main thing for me is that we don’t plateau now, we have to keep progressing.”

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: It was always going to be a tall order for Bulls in Toulouse last month, but they had their chances to pull off a shock victory. It was always going to be a tall order for Bulls in Toulouse last month, but they had their chances to pull off a shock victory. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

And Lawrence thinks the signing of Smith earlier this week, his former team-mate at Huddersfield, can play a huge role in that.

The skipper played a big part in the skilful forward coming to Odsal too, saying: “Dan messaged me a week or so ago and said he was interested in looking for a new club after leaving Featherstone.

“I was straight on the phone to Freddy to let him know, because Dan’s a great player.

“He’s a got a lot to give with his Super League experience, which is where he’s played virtually all of his career.

“It’s important that any lads we bring in enhance the squad, and are better than what we already have.

“The likes of Dan with his Super League experience, and Mitch Souter coming in from the NRL, can only push others to make them better.”