Burgess expects Dragons to be on best behaviour

7:38am Saturday 7th June 2008

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Sam Burgess has urged his Bulls side to turn on the class again but warned: Catalans won't make the same mistake twice.

The French high-fliers return to Grattan Stadium for the second time in just four weeks tomorrow.

Last time out Bradford thrashed them 46-16 in the Challenge Cup, having racked up a quickfire 24-0 lead while Catalans full back Clint Greenshields was sin-binned early on.

Burgess got the try that opened the floodgates and the Great Britain prop admitted: "We were pretty awesome and if we play like that again it could turn out the same.

"But Catalans will have been disappointed with their lack of discipline that day and they will come with an improved approach."

In-form Burgess believes Catalans, who whipped Huddersfield 48-0 a fortnight ago to help Giants boss Jon Sharp on his way, will be a different proposition tomorrow.

"I've not been involved in too many games with sin-binnings - they all came at once last week - but that was probably the most brutal I've seen in terms of scoring points while a side's a man down," he said.

"I don't think Catalans will be giving away as many penalties tomorrow. They'll have learned from that and this next match will see them a lot more cautious.

"It's up to us to break them up again though. The Catalans boys do like to hold down in the tackle and slow the play-the-ball but I'm sure that's not their only focus and we're expecting a big battle."

With man-mountains like Alex Chan, David Ferriol and Jerome Guisset charging forward, it will be physical up front but the expected collisions are just the sort of face-offs 19-year-old Burgess thrives on.

The teenager has already forged himself a reputation as an enforcer, coming up with some huge hits against Hull last week.

"Catalans are a difficult team to play off and are a massive side right across the board, not just in the pack," he said.

"But we've got a lot of big boys too so we're not worrying about that and teams should be fearing us."

The Bulls though are bidding to avoid a third straight home defeat after losses against Leeds and Hull.

They have had no trouble making metres down the middle with Burgess, Andy Lynch, Jamie Langley and the fit-again Joe Vagana giving them great go-forward.

It was out wide where they failed to capitalise especially last week, when their lack of penetration cost them a spot in the Carnegie Challenge Cup semis.

But Burgess, likely to play at loose forward again tomorrow due to Glenn Morrison's continued absence, insisted: "It's a team sport and all 13 of us need to play together.

"At the moment, we're just not finding that formula but we've set some targets and I'm sure we will reach them.

"The boys are determined to come back firing stronger."

Meanwhile, the Super League Young Player of the Year is a certainty to be soon tackling French opponents once more with Great Britain's Test in Toulouse looming later this month.

Burgess is hoping to build on his sensational debut against the Kiwis last year in readiness for the World Cup this autumn.

"It will be good to get another cap and play for my country again if I do get selected but I'm really not thinking about it," he added. "My main concentration is here. I've aspirations to win things at Bradford and we're trying to fulfil that aim this year."

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