WHEN Jimmy Lowes rang Lance Du'Lac and asked him to join his backroom staff, the performance analyst was on the brink of completing his PhD.

An academic doctorate, the culmination of almost five years' hard graft, beckoned the 45-year-old.

Yet Du'Lac shelved his full-time studies, at least for the time being, to become reunited with old pal Lowes as the Bulls' head of performance and video operations. It was a challenge he could not turn down.

His role will be hugely significant this year as Bradford seek a return to Super League and his close relationship with Lowes augurs well for the trials ahead.

"I was three months away from finishing my PhD when Jimmy phoned me up," said Du'Lac, who commutes to Bradford from his native Hull.

"I've had to extend my studies for nine months to take this job, which didn't go down too well with my wife.

"But I've worked with Jimmy for a number of years, first at Salford and then at Warrington. We drifted apart a little bit after that but we always kept in touch and remained close.

"Jimmy and I get on very well in many ways away from rugby, which is unusual because I'm a teetotaller, but I think he keeps me around as his designated driver! We're also both insomniacs, which probably helps our relationship.

"First and foremost, I saw coming to Bradford as a way of helping Jimmy be successful and subsequently, the Bulls being successful. Helping this club get back to where it belongs is a great challenge."

Du'Lac boasts an amazing cv. He has worked at Salford, Warrington, Catalans, Hull FC and Hull KR plus NRL sides Canterbury, Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as the England, Australia and New Zealand national sides.

"I was probably one of the first analysts to actually work in rugby league, back in 2002-03, when I worked with the Australia national team against Great Britain in the Ashes," he said.

"I did the next two years with Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy, which was a great experience. When Brisbane came over in 2007 for the World Club Challenge against St Helens, I worked with Wayne again."

Du'Lac has also worked with Tim Sheens during the 2011 Four Nations and New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney at the 2013 World Cup.

His role at Odsal sees him research the opposition and compile information to present to Lowes, as well as analysing the performance of Bradford players.

"The nitty-gritty of what I do is breaking down the opposition, looking at their strengths and weaknesses, and essentially freeing up time for the head coach to spend more contact time with the players," said Du'Lac.

"I'm compiling all the research on the opposition to save Jimmy time and then I will go home after a game and break down individual cuts and go through all our players' performances.

"I was also brought in to help build the performance department and we have appointed Dan Weaving to work on the GPS (Global Positioning System) side of our analysis, with Gary Dempsey as head of strength and conditioning."

The Bulls' access to a range of high-tech equipment stems from Du'Lac's ongoing links to the University of Hull, where he is studying for his PhD in 'the pedagogical use of performance analysis technology by elite rugby league coaches'.

Weaving is also nearing completion of his PhD at the University of Hull, specialising in establishing reliable performance markers with GPS systems.

He explained: "Essentially it's an elite GPS system that we have managed to secure via our contacts in industry and at the University of Hull, who are very supportive of what we are trying to build here.

"As soon as I came in, we brought in additional video analysis equipment, which also allows us to carry out in-house coaching development by putting a specialist system in every coach's hands.

"Building an elite performance department was only going to work if key people like Marc Green, Steve Ferres and Professor Sean Carroll, the head of the sports science department at the University of Hull, backed it and got involved in it, which they have done fully.

"There is a perfect case-study there straight away for the university with a new coach coming in and a club being rebuilt after everything it has been through.

"I will be an academic doctor when I've completed it, which will set me up nicely for the future.

"I was interested in utilising all the experiences I'd had in rugby league with various coaches as some academics can have no working knowledge of elite sport. But I have a foot in both camps and can see the benefit of both."

Du'Lac's PhD is basically centred on how rugby league coaches use video analysis to teach players to play the game – but he is mindful of becoming too technical.

"I sit by Jimmy at every game and we do live video replays and break down certain key stats during the match," he said.

"We know the players want to play an entertaining brand of rugby, so we want them to offload the ball and not be afraid to play what they see."

Du'Lac has worked with some of the best coaches on either side of the world.

He said: "Craig Bellamy was probably the best coach I've worked for, whereas Wayne Bennett was the best manager by a long stretch.

"Jimmy is a great coach and I've always said that, even when I wasn't working with him. As he was a great player himself, he sees things others don't and technically he's not a million miles away from the likes of Bennett and Bellamy.

"He works incredibly hard to extend himself as a coach and he will be the complete package if he's given time."

With the new season coming into sharp focus, Du'Lac is in confident mood.

"The Leigh game is important for us and we'd like nothing better than to lay down a marker for the season ahead," he said.

"I always feel confident about winning every game because I'm very competitive – so yes, I think we'll beat them. But it's more about how we approach that middle eight, provided we've earned the right to be there.

"We are aiming to peak for that business end of the season and every day between now and then is an opportunity for all of us to get better. That's why we brought the GPS in and why Gary and Dan are here.

"It's a team effort and we are all here to ensure Jimmy is successful, the team are successful and the fans are happy.

"The crowds will come back if we are successful but we want to be entertaining as well. It's about marrying the two together."