Elliott Whitehead has begun training with the Bulls’ Academy side and could turn out for Dewsbury on dual registration with his future still up in the air.

The home-grown back-rower may have played his last game for the Bulls after handing in a transfer request and making clear his desire to join a “top-four club”.

He remains on indefinite leave from the first team and trained with Paul Medley’s under-19s on Monday.

Whitehead was scheduled to join Medley’s young guns again last night and should also train with Dewsbury this week ahead of a potential first appearance for the Bulls’ partner club.

He is not eligible to play for Glenn Morrison’s side in their Northern Rail Cup clash with Sheffield on Friday but could turn out for the Rams in the Championship match at home to Halifax on Sunday week.

Whitehead effectively remains in limbo as his agent, Andy Clarke, attempts to engineer a transfer without any apparent success so far.

Bulls coach Francis Cummins said: “Elliott is currently training with the Academy and will also go and train with Dewsbury, who he will be made available to play for.

“Elliott has made the decision that he wants to leave but no offers have come in for him.

“Everyone is stuck – Elliott is stuck and the club are stuck.”

Despite the current impasse, Cummins suggested the situation could yet be reconciled between Whitehead and his home-town club.

The Bulls boss said: “I’ve not said it can’t be.

“All Elliott said to me was that the progression of the club is not what he thought it would have been and he wants to play for a top-four club.

“Sometimes players get poor advice or they make a wrong decision.

“I can accept anyone saying they’ve made a wrong decision – but that would be a decision for me and the players.”

Cummins said the prospect of a swap deal could not be discounted and admitted Whitehead’s current unavailability for the first team was doing the Bulls no favours.

He said: “I’ve got the smallest squad in Super League. I could lose Elliott’s wage and he could go and play for someone else but that doesn’t improve my situation.

“It’s down to other people to come up with something that strengthens us.

“It’s got to work in favour of Bradford Bulls, not just Elliott, but there is nothing there at the moment.”