JAKE Mullaney is aiming to help fire the Bulls to promotion and secure a new deal to play for the club in Super League next season.

The Australian has endured an injury-disrupted debut campaign but will return to action in tomorrow’s Super 8s opener at home to Sheffield.

Signed from Salford at the end of last term, Mullaney has showed glimpses of his best form this year, including hat-tricks in successive games against Hunslet and Sheffield recently.

The hamstring problem that has affected him for much of the season is now behind him and he is eyeing a successful Super 8s campaign and a new contract.

Mullaney said: “It has been frustrating. I said at the start of the year that I wanted to get through the season injury-free and it hasn’t really worked out like that.

“I thought I was over the hamstring injury because it has been a while since I’ve had it, but it has been quite a bad problem this year.

“I’ve rehabbed it quite well this time and it’s feeling good, so I’m hoping for a big performance on Sunday.

“The squad is looking really strong at the moment and we’ve trained really well this week so I’m expecting a big improvement from when we played them recently.”

Mullaney only signed a one-year deal when he joined the Bulls but is talking to the club about extending his stay.

He revealed: “I’ve been in negotiations with the club and hopefully, if it all works out, then I might be able to stay longer.

“I’ve enjoyed my time here and, with the prospect of going up to Super League, there is a lot to look forward to.

“Hopefully I can be a part of it because the fans have been great this year.”

Mullaney is expected to play full back against Sheffield, with Danny Addy set to partner the fit-again Lee Gaskell in the halves.

New recruit Matt Ryan will make his debut while Danny Williams is expected to return on the wing and Adrian Purtell and Dale Ferguson are also aiming to feature.

Head coach Jimmy Lowes has his strongest available squad for some time and new signing Dane Nielsen is due to land over the weekend and could attend tomorrow’s game.

Lowes said: “I never doubted the players I had.

“We set ourselves a goal and that was to get into the middle eights.

“We had a bit of a disjointed end to the season but we had to make changes within those games and I don’t think people quite get that.

“Sometimes we’re playing Championship players and this is not the old Bradford Bulls team full of superstars. But I’ve never been discouraged in any shape or form with our starting team because it’s as good as any other side.

“We’ve added to that and I’ve always said I will only bring in players who will add quality to the top 13. I think we’ve done that.”

Lowes said he had signed Ryan as a back-rower, adding: “I’ve brought in Matt to add a bit of steel to that area.

“He had a great year at Wakefield last season and whatever has happened there has happened – I’m not interested. But he’s come here and has got stuck in straight away.”

Four of the Bulls’ seven games are on home soil but Lowes insisted: “I don’t really care where the games are.

“Whether you’re home or away, you’ve got to approach the game in the same manner.

“We’re looking forward to the first game and the fans will be too because they’ve been fantastic all year.

“The Summer Bash game against Halifax at Blackpool was the highlight of that and they have been up to Workington and Whitehaven and really got behind the team.”

After losing to Sheffield last month, Lowes said: “We were poor in that first half against Sheffield and they took their chances, so fair play to them.

“But we let ourselves down massively and we’re going to approach this game in a completely different manner.

“I can’t accept some of that slackness that we showed in the first half against Sheffield.”