WHAT could have been a dream move for Dale Ferguson last season quickly turned into a waking nightmare.

Signed by Francis Cummins after a stellar 2013 campaign which saw him help Huddersfield finish top of Super League, big things were expected of the highly-regarded back-rower.

But a persistent back problem hampered Ferguson for much of the season before he tore his groin off the bone towards the back end of the year.

Ferguson's rotten luck with injuries meant he played just seven times in 2014 and was often a frustrated spectator as the club sleepwalked towards relegation.

Now though, after another period of rehabilitation, the Scotland international is fully fit and looks certain to play some part in Sunday's visit of his old club Huddersfield.

Bulls head coach Jimmy Lowes has taken care not to rush Ferguson back and the 26-year-old reflected: "Last year was a nightmare season for me, to be honest.

"I've never known anything like it and it took a little bit to get over. But Jimmy and the club have been class and really looked after me.

"Jimmy wants me to be 100 per cent first before I play and that has been his message throughout pre-season – making sure I'm fully fit.

"He said to me before the Castleford game 'you probably won't play this week, you'll play against Huddersfield so you can buy yourself another week'.

"It has been perfect, really. That has got my body right and I'm looking forward to playing this weekend.

"Last season I had a back problem but towards the back end of the year I tore my groin off the bone. I just carried on and then tore my groin again – that's why last year was pretty bad.

"I had about a week off during the off-season and came straight back in for rehab', so everything is looking up now."

It is easy to forget that Ferguson was one of the best back-rowers in Super League in 2013, when the Giants finished top of the league for the first time in 81 years.

"It was good there but I'm a Bradford Bulls player now and I wasn't fortunate enough to play against Huddersfield last year," he said.

"I want to make up for that in this friendly and then take things from week to week and see where I go from there.

"There is a lot of competition in my position but that's what you need at the club. You have to have the depth where, if you lose a couple of players, you have the same talent coming straight back in to replace them.

"That's what any team needs and if one week you have a bit of a bad game, then you know you're going to cop it and someone will come and fill your spot.

"That's going to make you stay on your toes and having that depth in our squad bodes well. Hopefully now things are looking up for me."