FORMER Bulls star Elliott Whitehead is ready to prove his class on the highest stage tomorrow after an outstanding debut season in the NRL.

The second-rower quit Bradford midway through the 2013 campaign after a fall-out with coach Francis Cummins and has not looked back since.

Whitehead joined Catalans and spent two-and-a-half seasons in Perpignan before moving to Canberra at the start of this year.

He helped the Raiders to finish second and played all but two minutes of a tireless campaign which saw him handed a one-year contract extension, tieing him to the club until the end of 2018.

The 27-year-old will represent England against Australia in tomorrow's crunch Four Nations showdown at the Olympic Stadium as he continues his remarkable rise to prominence.

Whitehead said: "A lot of people doubted me when I wanted to leave Bradford, and I got some stick for it on social media, but Catalans was a great move for me.

"I probably played my best rugby there and then got my opportunity to play in the NRL and fulfil a life dream off the back of that, so it's worked really well for me.

"My first year at Canberra definitely exceeded my expectations. I knew guys like Josh Papalii were incredible players and that I'd need to work hard to get a spot and keep it.

"For me to keep it all year and play nearly every minute, missing just two, I felt like I went well.

"I do a lot more defending at Canberra than I did at Catalans but I haven't changed my game too much."

The former West Bowling amateur believes his success at Canberra, where England team-mate Josh Hodgson has similarly thrived, will help him to cope with the challenge of facing Australia tomorrow.

Whitehead said: "Playing for the Raiders in those big games this year will help massively.

"Josh and I actually spoke about how we need to complete our sets – we've learned that if you don't do that in the NRL, you will struggle.

"Everyone knows that the NRL is week in, week out a more intense game whereas over here in Super League, some weeks it's not as intense.

"I guess that'll give Australia a headstart but we're more than capable of beating them because I believe we've got some of the best players in the world."

Wayne Bennett's side must win tomorrow if they are to stand any chance of reaching the final at Anfield next Sunday.

An improvement is needed from last week's stuttering win over Scotland and Whitehead admitted: "It's fair to say we haven't performed so far.

"We've been patchy but there have been times we've shown we can perform. However, this week we need to have a full 80-minute performance and show everyone that we're capable of beating Australia.

"Winning would have a massive impact for the country. We've not beaten Australia for a good while and we want everyone to get behind us, make us proud and we'll show we are capable of beating Australia when a lot of people doubt us.

"I don't think I've probably produced my best for England yet, so hopefully come Sunday I can tick a lot of boxes and put in my best performance yet.

"It's definitely going to be intense, particularly in the first 20 minutes as we're going to try and slow them down and get some big hits in, so there'll definitely be some intensity there."

Hodgson is keen to stay at Canberra for the foreseeable future – but home is where the heart is for Whitehead, who could line up in the second row alongside fellow Bradfordian John Bateman tomorrow.

Whitehead, one of six ex-Bulls players in the current England squad, said: "Bradford is home to me and I'll definitely come home at some point. I don't know when that will be, but I will.

"I speak to John quite often and keep asking him to come to Canberra but he won't come.

"He's one of the best players in Super League and has showed that at Wigan. It has been a good move for him and he's really settled in over there. I think he loves it more than Bradford now!"