COACHES are fond of saying the season is a marathon and not a sprint – but whatever the length of the race, it helps to get off to a good start.

Last season's Championship winners versus the fallen giants of Super League, as it will be at a raucous Leigh Sports Village on Sunday, is a fixture to increase the heartbeat.

The Bulls going to Leigh and winning – and winning well – would certainly send out a strong statement about their intentions for the season ahead.

Not only would it pour confidence into Jimmy Lowes' new-look side, it would reinforce the widely-held belief that Bradford are the team to beat this year.

It is the perfect game for the RFL's much-heralded new era in the second tier to begin, if perhaps not necessarily for Lowes and his team.

Lowes has signed over a dozen players during the off-season and his team have had only two pre-season friendlies to put their new structures and combinations into match practice.

The Bulls head coach admitted his men were not up to speed in Jamie Peacock's testimonial against Leeds on January 25.

There were positive signs, particularly during the first half of the opening friendly against Castleford, but overall there is a general acceptance that the Bulls could be undercooked heading into Sunday's game.

Leigh have played four friendlies and won them all – including victory over a strong Wigan side and an 86-0 pasting of Keighley Cougars.

They will be at full-strength this weekend and will field a half-back combination which basically destroyed the Championship last season.

Martyn Ridyard was named the Kingstone Press Championship player of the year, while partner Ryan Brierley scored 43 tries and claimed the young player of the year prize.

It is worth remembering that Paul Rowley's team have a settled side who know each other well, have enjoyed success together and, perhaps most importantly, know the division.

Rowley has fashioned a well-motivated and well-drilled outfit and now, having gone full-time, it looks a clear footrace between the Centurions and Bradford for top spot at the end of the 23 rounds.

There are also set to be a number of Bulls players unavailable on Sunday – including Epalahame Lauaki, who would certainly have come in useful against Leigh's marquee signing Fuifui Moimoi.

While Bulls fans will, typically, flock across the Pennines in their numbers hoping to see their team's promotion pedigree, an opening-day defeat need not spell disaster in the bigger picture; far from it.

As Lowes stated during Monday's season launch at the Worsley Marriott in Manchester, Sunday's game will not shape the Bulls' season.

It is all about managing your squad and individual players carefully in preparation for the Super Eights when the leagues split after 23 weekly rounds.

That is when it is to be hoped the Bulls are coming into their prime, with a settled side and every player fit and fighting to be involved in battles against the bottom four Super League sides.

Some coaches were keen to talk up their team's promotion hopes at Monday's launch. Not Lowes. Such events are not really for him and – as during his playing days, when he refused to countenance defeat – he wants any talking to be done on the pitch.

There has been a bit of kidology this week from Leigh counterpart Rowley, who claims all the pressure is on Bradford and that his young men are simply going out to enjoy themselves this season.

Make no mistake about it though, ambition pulses throughout Rowley's home-town club. Desire is both visible and audible in Leigh's head coach, players, hierarchy and supporters, who were a fanatical bunch back in the day at the old Hilton Park.

Rowley also makes a good point in today's Telegraph & Argus that Lee Gaskell would probably get into any Super League side, never mind Championship team.

Gaskell's threat when he is running at opposition defences can be impossible to diffuse at times and it would be no surprise whatsoever to see him win games on his own this season.

Lowes securing the signature of the former St Helens stand-off could prove to be his best bit of business heading into this campaign. But there are plenty of promising signs elsewhere.

Jake Mullaney has looked a fine acquisition at full back, Harry Siejka has similarly showed some promising touches during the two pre-season friendlies and Etu Uaisele looks capable of making his mark. So too does Ryan Shaw.

Jay Pitts, Danny Addy, Adam O'Brien, Adam Sidlow, Tom Olbison, Dale Ferguson, Adrian Purtell and Matty Blythe are all proven Super League players, so surely they can do it in the Championship?

Plenty of players have a point to prove, particularly the new recruits, but they will be given the best possible care and support with backroom staff such as Gary Dempsey, Lance Du'Lac and Karl Harrison on board to support Lowes.

While a win would be nice on Sunday, it is worth remembering that it is at the business end of the season where results matter most.

Bring on the new season – the time has come.