Francis Cummins believes tomorrow’s opening pre-season friendly at Dewsbury will provide the first indicator of how the Bulls are shaping up ahead of the 2013 campaign.

Cummins will take charge of his first match since being appointed as the club’s head coach on a three-year deal in September.

After over two months of gruelling pre-season training, he is delighted that his men will finally get the chance to play a match.

“I’ve said to the players that this weekend’s game will be a good chance to see where we are,” said Dewsbury-born Cummins.

“We’ve trained really well during pre-season and I’m really pleased with what they’re doing. But this is the first game – the first impression that we can give to people.

“You can train all you want but you never know where you are until you actually play.

“There won’t be too many of them playing 80 minutes because that’s not what I want out of it. But I do want to see some good combinations and I want to see us front up.

“We’ve got people training really well and looking great but this is it now.”

Although up to seven first-team squad members will miss out through injury, the Bulls should field an otherwise strong line-up.

Keith Lulia will feature after spending a two-week festive break back in his native Wollongong in Australia with his wife Kelly.

He missed last year’s pre-season trip to Dewsbury but is raring to go ahead of tomorrow’s clash.

The Cook Islands centre said: “I remember watching last year’s game at Dewsbury and they were pretty physical.

“They really wanted to give it to us but I just can’t wait to get out there tomorrow.

“It’s been a while since I played a game and seeing what Dewsbury have got. It should be a good trial for us.”