Bradford Bulls feel Swinton Lions an ideal pre play-off test

And while he knows the level will go up in their game against whoever finishes sixth, he admits that Halifax and Swinton have been the ideal opposition for their last two games.

Fax needed a win to secure safety last Sunday at home to Bulls, and got it, while Swinton’s only hope of survival is to claim victory at Odsal tomorrow and pray for a Barrow defeat against Widnes.

O’Carroll told the T&A: “It’s important to go into the play-offs on a high.

“But regardless of that, it’s like the competition starts again next week.

“We have to be focused, but then we were last week, we just didn’t get the result.

“I thought our effort was outstanding, it was just that we made too many errors that put us under pressure.

“But it was still two tries apiece, we just didn’t ice a couple of things, we conceded a costly penalty and going down a man (Mitch Souter) doesn’t help.

“There were plenty of positives from the game, but it’s important for us to recognise the level will go up in the play-offs.

“These last two games, playing the type of opposition we are, they’ll give us an insight of what play-off rugby will look like.

“Halifax were desperate at the weekend, doing anything they could to get the game won, and Swinton will be the same, so that puts us in good stead for what’s ahead.”

Discussing tomorrow’s opposition further, O’Carroll said: “They’ll be right up for it and they’ll be competing, but that’s the kind of team Swinton are anyway.

“It’s going to be a highly competitive game and I’ve got the opportunity to rotate the team (Lee Gaskell is not in the squad, so Jordan Lilley and Jarrod Sammut look likely to have one final regular season audition as a half back pairing for example).

“It’s a good game to give people chances if they want or need them, to see how they respond to that challenge.”

Eamon O'Carroll has a decision to make on his two starting halves in the play-offs, though it will be Jarrod Sammut and Jordan Lilley this weekend. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

One challenge that both O’Carroll and experienced back rower John Davies feel Bulls need to overcome is their attempt to force points.

The former said: “It’s something we’ve spoken about a lot, that we don’t have to put points on the board early, and I sense that’s a big feeling within the club, that impatience.

“I remember when we were 12-0 up at home to Dewsbury at half-time last month and I got the sense everyone felt it should be more.

“But I knew it would come later on, and it’s just trying to sell that to the group, that that’s how the game is.

“You have to build pressure, and every side will start the game with a level of intensity, because they’re desperate to win.

“At the moment, because we’re defending really well in yardage, we’re probably getting more ball sets than usual, or they’re coming earlier in the game.

“That’s probably making the players think they have to panic and throw the kitchen sink at teams, which you don’t need to do.”

Someone who rarely puts a foot wrong is Bulls back row Eribe Doro, who collected multiple gongs at the club’s end of season awards last week.

The Hull-KR bound star has recovered well from the back injury he suffered in the win at Sheffield three weeks ago, and O’Carroll said: “We’re pretty much as we were injury-wise, and we’ll make a late decision on whether Reebs plays or not.

“He’s feeling good, he’s back training with the team and we’ll have a chat and see where things go from there.

“But even if he doesn’t play this weekend, and it’s highly likely he will, he’s going to be okay for the play-off game.”