MUCH was made of the Leeds-Bradford rivalry which characterised everything that was good about Super League in the early years of the Millennium.

But Robbie Hunter-Paul remembers a time when derbies against Halifax took centre stage.

The Bulls chief executive said: “I played against Halifax before Super League began when it was the old Northern-Halifax rivalry up at Thrum Hall.

“The Leeds Rhinos-Bradford Bulls derbies were big, but you could argue that back in those days the Halifax-Bradford derby was even bigger.

“The Bulls-Rhinos games were quite glamorous, but against Halifax you knew it was going to be rough, tough and you would come out of those games battered and bruised.

“You could say they were almost spiteful, within the rules of the game, and I loved playing in them. They were exactly how derbies are meant to be.”

Bradford have not faced their local rivals since dumping them out of the Challenge Cup at The Shay in 2011.

It will be the sides’ first league meeting since 2003, a season which saw the Bulls twice put 60 points on their neighbours as Fax were relegated from Super League.

Hunter-Paul added: “When we sat down with the RFL about the Easter fixtures, we said we wanted Halifax at home on Good Friday.

“We knew it would be what our fans wanted and what their fans would want too.

“Karl Harrison was saying after the game on Sunday that Halifax’s players and supporters were already talking about this game.

“Put aside differences between being a full-time professional or a part-time semi-professional.

“In a derby such as this, it’s the psychological adrenaline rush that you get which makes you go beyond your normal ability.

“It’s a completely separate cauldron from your average game and that is created by everyone on the terraces.

“All week long, the players feed off the excitement of the fans and vice versa.

“Everyone you bump into on the street is talking about the big local derby, which starts to create anxiety, adrenaline and excitement.

“You start talking about it, as does your coach, and it creates this monster which gets into the whole psyche of your club.

“It’s something you don’t get Down Under. It’s the biggest thing I enjoyed about the British game more than any other – the banter during the week which just snowballs and then you have the 80 minutes where it all just pours out. This game has been on my radar for a long time.”