NOBODY seems quite sure how good Bradford can be this season, least of all their loyal, long-suffering supporters.

Speak to Bulls followers around the city and you will find mixed views on the club’s promotion prospects for 2016.

There are some who genuinely believe that Jimmy Lowes and his men will be better equipped to challenge in their second year in the Championship.

Those optimists point to the fact that Lowes and his players now know what life in the second tier is all about.

Trips to outposts such as Workington and Whitehaven, and even local outings to Batley and Dewsbury, were culture shocks for the Bulls last season.

That cannot be denied, but at least they know what to expect at these kind of venues and the opposition lying in wait.

Appointing Karl Harrison as his assistant for the 2015 campaign was designed to arm Lowes with a vast array of coaching experience and knowledge of the division.

But it did not work out as hoped and Harrison left at the end of last season feeling that he had simply not been properly utilised.

Chev Walker, a coaching novice following his retirement from playing, and Matt Diskin are now Lowes’ right-hand men.

For the Bulls head coach has come the realisation that there are effectively two seasons ahead: the 23 weekly rounds against largely part-time opposition and the all-important Qualifiers.

Lowes, by his own admission, overplayed Adam O’Brien last season in the pivotal hooking role and will now look to take him out of the firing line at times.

He should rotate the team more generally and give every member of his squad a chance to impress before settling on his best side.

Of the large squad that was assembled last year, Karl Davies, Dave Petersen and Adam Brook did not make a first-team appearance, while plenty others were peripheral figures.

With the signings that have been made during the winter, there should be ample opportunities for Lowes to quite literally shuffle his pack.

Four of the seven new recruits are forwards: Mitch Clark, Kurt Haggerty, Jonathan Walker and Ben Kavanagh.

Add Adam Sidlow, Paul Clough, Steve Crossley, Epalahame Lauaki and Dan Fleming to the mix and it is clear that Bradford are not short in the front-row department.

Lauaki averaged around 15 minutes per match last season and needs to up his game and indeed his fitness if he is stay in the Bulls’ top 17.

Oscar Thomas, Johnny Campbell and Kris Welham make up the rest of the new faces, while Rhys Jacks and Dan Caprice remain on trial.

Five of the seven new recruits have been signed from Championship clubs.

Compare and contrast that to Leigh’s close-season recruitment.

Say what you like about Derek Beaumont, and many have in recent times, but he has certainly put his money where his mouth is.

He has funded a batch of lavish signings in Dayne Weston, Rangi Chase, Willie Tonga, Reni Maitua, Cory Paterson and Harrison Hansen.

In a sport that struggles to attract investment, it is hard not to applaud such ambition, even if Beaumont did become a pantomime villain with Bulls fans last season.

Bradford’s recruitment has been rather more modest and it is evident that Marc Green will not be pushing the boat out to sign a former Man of Steel such as Chase.

There is also concern over the fact that Jake Mullaney and Harry Siejka – essentially the Bulls’ first-choice full back and scrum half – have left Odsal.

Others such as Ryan Shaw and Adam Henry have been shown the door while Dane Nielsen and Matt Ryan, signed ahead of the Qualifiers last year, will not be returning.

As things stand, the Bulls do not have a recognised scrum half on their books.

Make sense of that.

Danny Addy and Lee Gaskell will probably form the half-back pairing when the season kicks off and, unless Jacks makes the grade, it could be a while before a recognised number seven arrives at Odsal.

The loss of Mullaney in particular is a huge blow because, for all his injury problems, his talent was abundantly clear.

Thomas can also play in the halves but might be seen more at full back to begin with.

The core of the squad remains largely unchanged from last season and men such as Adrian Purtell, Gaskell, Addy, O’Brien and Jay Pitts will again provide the backbone.

Heaven forbid if Gaskell or O’Brien went down injured for any period of time as the Bulls lack cover in the halves and at hooker.

On and off the field, 2016 feels like a seminal year in the club’s history.

If the Bulls are consigned to a third successive season outside Super League, how viable is it to remain at Odsal as a full-time outfit?

The Bulls, of course, pay rent to the RFL to use the historic stadium.

Green publicly stated last March that he would bring ownership of Odsal back into the club’s hands by the end of 2015.

That did not happen, and it remains to be seen if it will ever happen.

After presiding over relegation in 2014, Green appears to have brought a sense of stability to the Bulls and he did come within a whisker of taking them straight back up last term.

Now, though, there is an inescapable feeling that the task ahead this year is going to be harder.

Leigh and Halifax have strengthened and Sheffield have gone full-time, while Wakefield are certainly far stronger.

Off the field, Steve Ferres warned last October that selling any less than 5,000 season-ticket sales would leave the Bulls precariously placed.

Robbie Hunter-Paul said earlier this week the current figure was around the 2,500 mark, so the Bulls have work to do to make the numbers add up.

The club’s pre-season media day attracted just two reporters to come and speak to players on Monday.

That reaffirmed the view that Bradford need to become relevant again – and the only way of doing that is by returning to Super League.