JIMMY Lowes says plans are already taking shape for next year as the Bulls prepare for relegation from Super League.

Defeat at Huddersfield tomorrow would condemn Bradford to life outside the top flight for the first time since 1973-74.

It is all a far cry from Lowes' hugely successful eight-year stay at Odsal as a player, which ended on a high by helping them complete the league and cup double in 2003.

But the Bulls head coach says he has different plans for Super League or the Championship, with several players keen to stay and help the club bounce back at the first attempt.

A number of announcements are expected early next week and the legendary former hooker said: "There's a plan A and a plan B, so we've started the process of looking at players for both scenarios.

"We just need to definitely know whether we're down or not. Once we know where we are, we can decide what our plan is.

"In the position we're in, it's highly unlikely we're going to win all our remaining games and Salford or Hull lose all theirs.

"We're half preparing ourselves for plan B anyway and telling players what we want to do in the future.

"I don't know if the uncertainty puts us behind with our planning because players never make their mind up straight away.

"You can pick players up early on in the season next year. Players will always become available, so we won't panic.

"We have certain players in mind for the future and players who we haven't even thought about could pop up."

Luke Gale will join Castleford next season and question marks surround the future of several other players.

But Lowes revealed: "Nobody has come out and said outright that they want to leave.

"There are some strong players in this side, though, who want to play at the very top – and that's not disrespectful towards us.

"They have to look after themselves and they're not letting anyone down here because they're ambitious. They want to play at the top and test themselves."

Lowes is keen to find the right blend for the Championship, explaining: "We need some older players there – whether it's from Super League, New Zealand, Australia or even the Championship itself.

"It's not what division they're from which is important; not necessarily the Championship – although there are some good players down there.

"I'd like to keep all the players but that just isn't going to happen and some will want to leave. But we'll have a massively clearer picture when our situation becomes clear.

"There's obviously a financial issue there with Super League and Championship and the difference between the two."

Lowes said emphasis would be placed on developing home-grown talent from an academy which has spawned the likes of brothers Sam, George and Tom Burgess, Elliott Whitehead, John Bateman and current trio James Donaldson, Tom Olbison and Danny Addy.

"Hopefully we're going to recreate that Bradford academy in the coming months," he said.

"We're not going to lose our academy if we go down. It will stay Super League standard and it will be even stronger next year.

"Bradford had a great system in the past and they've produced some world-class players."

Relegation would cap a disastrous campaign which has seen the Bulls enter administration, docked six points and lose key players.

Lowes admitted: "It's sad and what people will remember about the Bradford Bulls is relegation, administration and trouble.

"That's not what the club is about, though. It has a far greater history back to the Bradford Northern days.

"That's why we've got a really loyal core of fans and if we do go down there are still four or five thousand people there who will stick with us through thick and thin.

"Hopefully that will see us in a position to get back up to the top division at some point.

"Occasionally clubs will go through cycles – Leeds Rhinos went through one and they produced some youth and have got back to the top – and unfortunately we're at the bottom of that cycle.

"We've got to rebuild and start again from the bottom. We've got to get the club back to where it was at the start of Super League and it won't be easy.

"We'll have to roll our sleeves up but we're all determined to do that."

Lowes said spirits among his players when he arrived last month were lower than he expected but he insists they have not even mentioned the dreaded prospect of relegation this week.

He added: "The mood was probably worse than I imagined. As we all know with the mind, it doesn't happen overnight - it's a long process to change someone's mental approach.

"We're working on it, though, and irrelevant of what happens on Sunday we'll continue to do that.

"We've trained well this week, and although it may be too little, too late, they are showing some great attitudes in training.

"Unless the boys are going to retire they're still in the professional game, and they have to have the right attitude in case someone is looking at you for next season.

"We haven't mentioned relegation at all. I didn't see any reason to mention it; let's focus on the game and everything else will take care of itself.

"If we are relegated then we'll deal with that on Monday morning. If we get a stay of execution then we'll go onto Wigan and deal with that."