KURT Haggerty is looking forward to crossing swords with some of his closest pals as the Bulls bid to overcome deadly rivals Leigh this evening.

Rohan Smith’s men are aiming for victory at the Summer Bash that would close the gap on the Championship leaders to five points.

Haggerty has his own point to prove as he prepares to face the club where he spent the past two seasons before joining Bradford last winter.

The second-rower played for Leigh at the start of his career, making ten appearances during the 2009 campaign, before returning for a second spell, initially on loan, from Barrow in 2014.

Haggerty said: “Bradford and Leigh are two of the best teams in the Championship, so it’s a healthy rivalry and the fans enjoy it too.

“The games have always been close and there has always been plenty of drama and action – they are good games to watch.

“Leigh have a very good squad because, when they lose players, they bring players straight in who are just as good and more committed to the cause.

“They have some fantastic players and we’ve got to be on our game to beat them.

“Most people you play with are just rugby friends but some of the lads there I’ve known for years.

“I’ll meet up for a coffee or a pint with the likes of Jake Emmitt, Liam Kay, Gregg McNally, Adam Higson, Andrew Dixon and Bob Beswick.

“I speak to them quite often and have a lot of respect for them.”

Haggerty enjoyed his time at Leigh but was released at the end of last season to create space on the salary cap, despite having a year remaining on his contract.

Bradford quickly snapped him up on a one-year deal and he was last week handed a two-year extension, keeping him at Odsal until the end of 2018.

“I was playing for Barrow, so I got a bit of a break when going to Leigh,” said Haggerty.

“In the two years I was there, we barely lost a game, set records and I played near enough every week.

“I created some good memories there with some great friends, but this is a new chapter for me now at Bradford.

“It’s something bigger for me and I’m looking forward to spending the next two years here.

“As long as we get the two points, that’s all that matters – regardless of who we are playing.

“I want to impress Rohan myself and show him that I’m not just about passes and flicks – I’m about working hard and doing the tough stuff as well because ultimately that’s what gets you in the team.”

Haggerty was pivotal in the famous fightback against Leigh at Odsal in February, when five tries in the last 15 minutes saw the Bulls come back from the dead to draw 32-32.

He remembered: “I thought for 65 minutes Leigh were a miles better side.

“When we started playing in that final 15 minutes, it made for an interesting finish to the game.

“I had to be instrumental because my first spell was really poor – I gave penalties away and I knocked on.

“Playing against Leigh for the first time since leaving them probably affected me more than I thought.

“When I came back on, I knew I had to do something and luckily a few things came off for me.

“We scored a few tries and got something out of the game.”

Haggerty is set to return to the side after being left out at Sheffield following a one-match ban served the previous week against Swinton.

The suspension followed his part in a brawl during the defeat at London, a match which saw Haggerty line up in the halves alongside Danny Addy.

He added: “Left second row is my best position but I’ll play anywhere for this team.”

Meanwhile, Leigh's main club sponsor AB Sundecks have donated their space on the front of the Summer Bash Special Limited Edition shirt to the Team Isaac charity.

Team Isaac was a fighting fund set up for Haggerty's 21-month-old nephew Isaac Haggerty, who recently passed away after a courageous fight with a rare form of leukaemia.