BRANDAN Wilkinson will not hit 20 until September but he is rapidly growing an old head on young shoulders.

The forward is one of the crop of Bulls youngsters thrown in at the deep end this season with seven appearances.

It has naturally been a steep learning curve but one he appreciates ahead of another step into the unknown in France tomorrow.

Wilkinson said: "There are challenges in life and this is probably one of the biggest ones I have come across with liquidation and the 12-point penalty, different staff, players coming and going.

"The points deduction was a kick in the teeth but the boys have all stuck together and Leigh Beattie has been helping us through everything.

"Some of the lads might have had other options but they stuck here and stayed with the minus 12 points. To get to where we are now is a big credit to us all."

Wilkinson is proud to be among six home-grown players in the Bulls side but honest enough to know that circumstances have promoted him quicker than he would have expected.

"If we had more numbers I don't think I, personally, would have played," he said.

"I would have been in the 19s with a couple of others – (James) Bentley, Evan (Hodgson) – but with people going, it has given the younger boys an opportunity and we have taken it with both hands.

"It's benefitting me for my future, playing against older people and men. It's a lot more challenging physically compared to the 19s."

Wilkinson has been inspired by the progress of Ethan Ryan and Bentley, whose performances are earning admiring nods from Super League.

"I was in my first year when Ethan was in the academy and I'm the same age as Bentley," he said.

"It is good to see him doing so well and I wouldn't mind a bit of that. It pushes you on when you see other young players doing well.

"Stoz (Matthew Storton) is a year younger than me but physically he is ready. Keenen (Tomlinson) is a great lad with good feet. They are both ready but when the time comes they have got to shine and I think they will do.

"That's been one of the let-downs in the past, seeing the home-grown players going off somewhere different. We have spoken about that in the academy. They want to keep the home-grown players and make them the pride of the club. It means a lot."

The Bulls have been smarting since their Easter double blow, especially the beating at Featherstone 11 days ago.

Wilkinson said: "That wasn't how we play. We had to get over that, do a lot of video and then knuckle down again. We have worked on everything and now we want to kick on."

The results of that hard toil will be in evidence against Toulouse and the teenager is excited by his first experience of playing rugby abroad, with the Bulls having already beaten Sylvain Houle's men at Odsal.

Wilkinson said: "They are a lot different at home and beating Hull KR speaks for itself. We are going in with our eyes open, we are not thinking 'we have beaten them before, it is going to be easy'.

"We know it's going to be challenge, especially physically, but we are looking at our game-plan and what we can to do to get one over them again."