JOHN Kear will keep his powder dry for now in terms of further bolstering his Odsal squad.

The Bulls coach has no immediate plans to push chairman Andrew Chalmers for more signings.

But he intends to keep close tabs in case someone should suddenly become available.

Kear said: “We’re still keeping our eyes open. There are still murmurs going on at certain clubs about players being available.

“If we feel that there will be somebody who will improve us, I’ll knock on Andrew’s door and try to twist his arm.

“Inevitably in pre-season with new signings and after trial games, of course some players fall out of favour. That’s part of professional sport.

“We’ve just got to make sure we keep our eye open and if someone is about who we think can benefit us, and the funds are made available, then we’ve got to make a play for them.

“You’ve got to hold your nerve in a certain way.”

The crop of young talent at the Bulls has convinced Kear that there is the strength in depth there in the current squad.

He was impressed with how the youngsters performed against Halifax on Boxing Day and will give them plenty of opportunities during the rest of the pre-season programme.

He added: “Look at how many played in a physical game and I thought they acquitted themselves very well.

“That reassured me about the quality of the young players here and gives us some insurance in the squad.

“But with young players, they are going to make errors. You’ve got to attempt to achieve consistency and it’s impossible for young men because they are just making their way in the game.

“If you feel their confidence is being affected, that’s when you’ve got to sit them down and maybe give them a week or two off to reassess and review and make a plan of action to further improve.

“You need that element of experience to get the youngsters through. But there are certainly some very exciting young players.”