JARROD Sammut was at Bulls as a young half back in his mid twenties, when they were still Super League ever-presents.
And while the club dropping out of the top flight in 2014 was surreal at the time, it quickly became the norm to not see Bradford among the elite.
Yet there have still been moments to toast over a difficult past decade, with Sunday’s dominant play-off eliminator win over bitter rivals Featherstone right up there.
Asked by the T&A after the game if he was hoping to feature in games like that when he made the decision to return to Bradford this summer, Sammut said: “Without a doubt.
“We’ve got a really rich history at Bradford, and I was lucky enough to play in a few big games here in my first spell, like some really good derbies against Leeds.
“They’re the games that sit deep in my heart, that I reminisce about, that I want to be a part of.
“We’ve had a really big rivalry against Featherstone since we dropped into the Championship, and today we needed to turn up.
“They came away with the spoils the last time we played them here, and we felt we owed them one, as we let ourselves down that afternoon.
“There are still a few areas we could have improved in today, but overall, I thought this was our best performance of the season.”
But they will need to be at the top of their game yet again to have any hope of beating Toulouse this Sunday in the semis.
Sammut, at 37, has played in numerous big games during his career, and the Australian had a message for those in the squad with less experience.
He said: “The biggest thing is trusting the process we’ve got here.
“The game and the fact it’s a do-or-die semi-final, where the atmosphere’s going to be electric, it can probably make you feel very overwhelmed.
“That can take the focus off the one-percenters you need to concentrate on.
“For me, we’ve just got to continue to do what we have been doing and not look at the bigger picture.
“If we can play even half as well as we did today, we’ve got a shot at going through and doing something really special this season.
“With the younger kids we’ve got in the squad, they need to make their performance count at Toulouse, but the main thing is to enjoy the moment and not put too much pressure on themselves.
“If you can do that, you’ll find that’s when you play your best rugby.”
But will Sammut get to produce any rugby in France?
Bulls head coach Eamon O’Carroll revealed after Sunday's game that Lee Gaskell was not risked due to a hamstring niggle.
But he is expected to be fit to face Toulouse, and while O’Carroll admitted he is not averse to playing all three of his half backs, the chances are one of Sammut or Gaskell will not be lining up alongside Jordan Lilley for the semi-final.
Sammut said: “You’ve got people fighting for positions and that makes any team better.
“It means you’re not just given the opportunity to play each week regardless, it comes down to your performances, your effort, your recovery and how well you look after yourself.
“Here at Bradford this season, we’ve now got three half backs fighting for position, and that’s only going to strengthen the team and the club.
“If you’re not performing, you’ve got no choice but to cop it on the chin if you’re not in the side the following week.
“As a playing group, we understand that, and if we’re not playing, we know the team comes first.
“We’re all playing for the badge at the moment, and a day like today is so good to be a part of.”
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