BRIAN Noble says there was no secret formula behind the success he enjoyed as the Bulls head coach but, rather, a simple philosophy.

"I had an expression 'it's about doing the things you love with the people you like'. That's what we had," remembers Noble.

The legendary former Bradford boss believes a similar kind of mentality is now returning to the bootroom of his hometown club.

Noble, of course, knows head coach Jimmy Lowes and his assistant Karl Harrison particularly well given their time together at Odsal.

Lowes was his captain and Harrison his assistant for two years between 2000 and 2002.

Noble said: "We were flying high at that time and had some good hard-headed coaches.

"Karl was in charge of Keighley at the time, but when I interviewed him it was clear he had similar beliefs to myself and was obviously an intelligent man who thought about the game.

"When the interview was over, I said to Karl 'I don't need to look any further – if you want the job then it's yours'. Then he had the difficult job of telling Keighley he wasn't going to be there next year.

"But everything I thought about Karl turned out to be true.

"He has an opinion, he is not frightened of sharing that opinion, he is loyal and was a great assistant."

After two years at Odsal, Harrison took the head coach job at Salford and spent over five years there.

"I thought he was brilliant at Salford as well," added Noble.

"He did a lot of good things there – he got them promoted and he made them competitive in Super League. It was a shock when he was sacked."

Nevertheless, Harrison returned to the game with Batley and then Halifax, proving himself one of the best coaches in the Championship during the past five seasons.

Noble, who himself is seeking a position back in rugby league following his axing by Salford in April, is currently Down Under to cover the Four Nations for the BBC as a pundit.

He believes the two years Harrison spent with the Bulls set him up for his coaching career.

He said: "Bradford produced not only good players but a good system that was worth copying and developing at your own club.

"I never had any doubts that anyone who went into the system we had would come out the other side more educated about rugby.

"Karl was certainly one of those people. He was great to work with and we had a lot of fun as well."

Nobody, least of all Noble, needs reminding of the talismanic influence that Lowes the player had at Bradford.

"Jimmy was the heartbeat, really," said Noble of his former skipper.

"We were fortunate that we had really good technical and tactical kickers like Paul Deacon and unbelievably individualistic players like Robbie and Henry Paul.

"But the one common denominator through it all was Jimmy – he was the boss on the field, whether you gave him the captain's armband or not.

"Jimmy would be like 'we're doing it this way' and he had that presence to know what was good for the team and good for him also."

Lowes took his first steps into coaching at Odsal as part of Noble's staff before working under Harrison at Salford and then heading for Warrington.

Noble said: "Jimmy was making noises that way at the back end of his time at Bradford when he finished as a player.

"He had a stint coaching with us and then developed himself a bit better at Salford with Karl because he had a bit more space and freedom.

"He was a feisty player and a poacher-turned-gamekeeper really.

"Some of the things he would do on the field he probably wouldn't advocate as a coach now.

"Knowing both sides of the game – technically and emotionally – was always going to set him up as a good head coach.

"He had a good crack at Warrington and it didn't quite work out but I had no doubts he would come again.

"It was a little bit like Daryl Powell in that he spent time away from a head coach's job in rugby league.

"After working with Brian McDermott at Leeds Rhinos, Jimmy went into rugby union with Leeds Carnegie and did well there.

"Now he is back in rugby league, I think Bradford should be thrilled that they have got him. He will do a brilliant job."

Noble reckons Lowes and Harrison could prove a match made in heaven in a role reversal of their previous stint together at Salford.

He said: "My only concern is that they are both dyed-in-the-wool Leeds United fans and I hope someone gives them hell over that!

"But in all seriousness, they will work well together, I'm sure.

"When you've been a head coach and you go back to being an assistant coach, I don't have any problems at all with it.

"We lose too many good coaches for fear of sticking them into a peg or a square hole.

"If Karl is happy doing what he's doing and is prepared to work hard with Jimmy, then I think the Bulls have got an unbelievable team.

"You know they will work hard and thrash out any problems that need to be thrashed out.

"I go back to that expression 'doing the things you love with the people you like'.

"The guys in Jimmy's backroom team are good people and have a track record of proving and providing success.

"Whilst it will be Jimmy's job to mould all their skills together, all the signs are good.

"They have made all the right moves and have done as best as they can with their recruitment.

"They have given Jimmy every chance with the people he wants to be there with him when it gets tough. It's looking good for the Bulls – for the first time in a long while."