Bulls coach Francis Cummins sends his men into battle tonight confident that victory could kick-start a run of results to lift them into the play-off places.

A miserable sequence has seen the Bulls lose nine of their last ten Super League outings to fall from third to tenth in the table.

Yet two points against Hull FC would take Cummins’ side to within two points of the eighth-placed Black and Whites, giving them a major boost heading into their remaining games.

Hull claimed an impressive Tetley’s Challenge Cup quarter-final win at Catalan Dragons last weekend but the Bulls showed signs they are ready to recapture their best form when losing to Wigan a fortnight ago.

Cummins said: “Hull are a good side but if we get a win over them than the confidence can come flooding back and that would set us up for the rest of the season.

“On the back of recent weeks we have improved and we need to get a result to keep us in the fight.

“We believe we can do that and we did improve at Wigan, only to let it slip in the last 20 minutes. “It’s also a big challenge for us coming on the back of Hull’s great win in France last week. They are all big games for us now.”

Cummins admits his side cannot look past tonight’s game as they go all out for victory to keep their season alive.

The Bulls boss is boosted by the return of a handful of players in Brett Kearney, Jarrod Sammut, Jamie Langley, Tom Olbison and Chev Walker, although Adam Sidlow and Matty Blythe miss out through injury.

Cummins said: “We can’t afford to look ahead at the remaining fixtures. We just need to put everything into this game in terms of selection and game-plan.

“We need to be professional and get the two points, then we can look at games further on.”

Hull’s win in Perpignan last Saturday came in searing heat while the Bulls had the weekend off.

Cummins admits the result will have poured confidence into Peter Gentle’s side, saying: “After watching that game at the weekend, they will be feeling good. “Catalan is a difficult place to go and the travel will have been difficult in the heat.

“They will probably have had more days off than training this week but it will have given them confidence. “You could see it at the end of the game on Peter’s face and the relief on the players’ faces “You could think it is as good a time as any to play them but perhaps physically and mentally it might have been better to have got them during the month when they didn’t win a game.

“But I’m not overly concerned with their situation because we have been searching for an 80-minute performance for the last month or so and probably a bit longer. “In some of those games we weren’t good enough but in the last few we have been. We probably just needed someone to steady the ship and have a bit more possession – but that’s down to us.”

Tonight’s clash will be Hull’s fourth game in 19 days, although they will have to soldier on without Ben Galea due to an arm injury. His place in the 19-man squad has been taken by Paul Johnson.

Half-back Daniel Holdsworth is nearing full fitness but the former Salford play-maker will not be risked.

Cummins said: “Their outside backs are very dangerous out of dummy half and they are quick. “There wasn’t too much in the game last week and they, together with Shannon McDonnell, pulled them out of some situations.

“They have a good pack with good size about them as well and that’s a concern. “They have some skill and are playing with some good offload which can drain your tank if you don’t stop it. They are dangerous all round the field.”