Bradford Bulls hooker Mitch Souter anticipates minutes issue

But the young Australian hooker faces a disrupted back end to the campaign, through no fault of his own.

For 2024, the RFL have introduced match limits for all professionals to decrease their exposure to head collisions and possible concussions, with younger players restricted to less gametime than their older team-mates.

That means capping the number of minutes they can play in any 12-month period, with forwards aged 22 and under only able to play 20 full game equivalents (1,600 minutes) in that time.

Souter fits into the above category, as he was still 22 on January 1 and did not turn 23 until the end of March, meaning his game time has to be managed more than many of his team-mates.

But of his fellow hookers, George Flanagan has been sold to Keighley and Tyran Ott is being regularly forced to fill in in the halves over the last two months, so Souter is racking up the on-field minutes at a rapid rate.

This could prove a problem down the line, and the young Aussie told the T&A: “It’s not frustrating at the moment, because I haven’t been restricted just yet, but it’s probably going to come into play later in the season.

“It’s a bit confusing, because I’ve never played with rules like that.

“I didn’t even know it was a thing until I heard about it a couple of weeks ago but it is what it is.

“You can’t change the rules, so you’ve just got to put up with it and do what the coach tells you to do.”

At 21, Jayden Myers is in a similar boat, though backs aged 22 and under can at least play 25 full-game equivalents.

The T&A has been in touch with the RFL this week, who have confirmed the limits are only advisory this year, with the final decision resting on discussions between player and club.

But head coach Eamon O'Carroll appears to be trying to stick to them as best as he can, and that has partly contributed to him leaving Myers out of the sides that have faced Toulouse and Wakefield this month, though he will return to face York on Sunday with Jorge Taufua banned.

Bulls are having to take care with Jayden Myers' game time at present, in the hope he will be prominent for them again in the late-season run-in. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

But with Lee Gaskell not set to return from his hamstring injury just yet and Tom Holmes having to play at full back now Aidan McGowan has rejoined parent club Huddersfield, Ott looks likely to link up with Jordan Lilley in the halves again this weekend.

That means O’Carroll is currently unable to share out Ott and Souter’s workload at number nine as he would like, though the latter said: “I’m happy to play big minutes or share the role with Ty.

“It’s a team-first mentality at the Bulls, that’s not just by me, it’s by everyone.

“That’s the kind of culture we’ve built and the culture we’ve got here.

“I’m not fazed, I’ll just play where I’m needed and for however long I’m needed.”

Souter was frustrated after Sunday’s defeat, knowing ill-discipline had cost Bulls a shock victory, including his own needless concession of a penalty for a late tackle on Luke Gale, from which Max Jowitt added two points.

He said: “Our discipline let us down massively today, with eight points from penalty goals and one try off a kick.

“We can take confidence that they didn’t break our line at all, but we shot ourselves in the foot.

“If we’re going to be dumb enough to give Wakefield the opportunity to go for the two points, they’re a smart enough team to take it every time.

“I felt we were on top in the middle physically for a lot of the game, but that ill-discipline took its toll.

“It’s a big snowball effect, because you start to give away more penalties the more you’re pushed back and the ruck gets looser.

“We have to look at ourselves and try and be better on that front against York.”