Bradford Bulls prop Bryn Hargreaves has enjoyed challenge but not results

Despite an overhaul of the club from top to bottom, results have once more failed to live up to expectations at Odsal. Last week’s thrashing of Huddersfield was a rare highlight in a difficult campaign.

Hargreaves holds his hands up to failures on the pitch but insists it does not have to be this way.

“It’s been challenging, although to be honest – for the most part – I’ve enjoyed the challenge and I’ve enjoyed the input I’ve had into the team,” he said.

“It’s been a frustrating season and I’m sure the fans feel that just as much, if not more, than us. We feel we’ve let down the fans this year.

“We’re close but a million miles away at the same time and that makes it even more frustrating because we know we should do better.

“In that sense, it’s a good feeling to have because I know the potential we’ve got and that’s why it’s frustrating.

“But I’ve got no regrets about coming here. I’m enjoying it – and I’m talking about the club as a whole.

“The fans have been fantastic and I feel for them. It’s been embarrassing at times because we want to do well for the fans but we’ve not been on the money every week.”

The experience has been a shock to the system for Hargreaves, who arrived at Bradford following four years with high-flying St Helens.

A World Club Challenge and Challenge Cup winner, he now finds himself on the opposite side of the coin.

“It’s been a shame but the club as a whole is really good and everyone makes you feel welcome, so there’s no regrets in that respect,” said Hargreaves.

“Anyway, things are changing. Things come around in cycles and our time will come, I’m confident of that still.

“It’s basically like watching suicide at the minute, the way we’ve been playing. We’ve not been giving ourselves enough chances to win games.

“We’ve done it really tough this year and even the games we’ve won, we’ve only just won when we should be battering teams. It’s been one of those years but I’m confident we’ll get there.”

Instead of making drastic change, Hargreaves believes the Bulls would be better tweaking the formula and cites Wigan as a blueprint for gradual change.

The workhorse forward was a member of the Warriors squad that flirted with relegation in 2006 and 11 of his former team-mates were still wearing cherry and white when the club won last year’s Grand Final.

He said: “If you look at Wigan from the team they had three years ago to the one last year, it was relatively unchanged. They stuck with the same side and worked the processes well.

“Things don’t just change overnight. We got 12 new players and we knew it was going to be tough.

“With the exception of a few games – Salford away, Huddersfield away and Warrington – there’s not been much difference.

“We drew at home to Saints, just lost the Challenge Cup game against Wigan and came close twice against Leeds.

“They’re a kick in the teeth when you’re so close and you know you should win but you’re just not doing it. Frustrating is the word that sums up the season.”