LEAGUE One will not be the cakewalk that many expect for the Bulls next season.

The club anticipate their first taste of third-tier rugby to be a short one with immediate promotion back to the Championship.

Yet a former League One title-winning coach has warned them to be ready to face a real culture shock.

Alan Kilshaw's Rochdale won the division in 2016 before finishing above the Bulls to secure Championship survival this season.

He is backing Bradford to come back up – but insists it will not be a stroll for them.

"It's probably a good time to be in it because you haven't got a Toulouse or a Toronto next year," said Kilshaw.

"I think Bradford will have the biggest budget. I'm not talking out of turn but they are still getting crowds of 3,000.

"But I suppose the toughest thing is when you are playing some of those teams who are a bit unknown. There are a lot of things to get used to and it is very different.

"You play someone like Hemel away and you look at the small changing rooms. It's hard for your players to get motivated.

"I think they'll find a little bit of that. Some players with Super League and Championship experience will be playing for Bradford next year, so they've got to deal with that.

"I don't think it will be as straightforward as people would imagine."

Kilshaw's side were hammered 72-16 in the final game at Odsal last week after beating the Bulls home and away during the regular season.

He knows it is important for the sport to see the Bulls bounce back and said: "I'd like to see them back in the Championship. Bradford are a good club who fell on hard times.

"We ramped up the mind games this year. I've done it the two times we played them in the league and we beat them when it mattered.

"But Bradford are good for the game. We need cities like that and I'd rather people put resources into Bradford than other places they are talking up at the moment.

"Hopefully they do come back and we're still in the Championship when they do."