Heath L’Estrange today admitted the prospect of becoming the Bulls’ new skipper was appealing – but insisted his overriding priority was to return to full fitness.

The club captaincy remains vacant after long-serving prop Andy Lynch ended a seven-year association at Bradford to join Hull FC.

L’Estrange, 26, is the outstanding choice to land the armband given his talismanic influence on Mick Potter’s side.

Other potential candidates include fellow rake Matt Diskin and senior pack men such as Jamie Langley and Olivier Elima.

Assistant coach Francis Cummins said last week that the club are open-minded about the role and that a decision will be made after assessing the individual qualities of players during pre-season.

And while L’Estrange has been touted as Lynch’s successor, he said he was more focused on his rehabilitation from injury.

The popular Australian hooker sustained a cruciate knee ligament injury against St Helens in June, ending his campaign prematurely and dealing a hammer blow to the Bulls.

Yet L’Estrange is happy with how his rehab is progressing and is hoping to be back into contention for the first pre-season fixture at Castleford on Boxing Day.

Asked about the captaincy, L’Estrange said: “I would always want to do that but at the moment I just want to concentrate on getting my knee right.

“I’d rather focus on that and see what happens but if someone came to me and said ‘do you want to do it?’ then I don’t think I could resist putting my hand up and taking it.”

L’Estrange is set to share hooking duties with Diskin again in 2012 but he said the fact that he is unlikely to spend 80 minutes on the pitch should not preclude him – or any other player – from being considered for the job.

For L’Estrange, the key issue is whether the Bulls’ new skipper commands the respect of his peers.

“Captains come in all different shapes and sizes and positions – full backs, wingers and front-rowers,” he said.

“It’s how the individual person takes to the role and it’s all about respect.

“It’s not about who has the ball most of the time, it’s about how well respected you are.

“That’s how you get a captaincy and that’s why Lynchy was such a good skipper.

“You look at people like Craig Fitzgibbon and Danny Buderus. They are such great captains because they’re so well respected for what they do on and off the field.

“If you can do that then it shows you are a leader.”