THE Bulls' young stars can use this season's trials and tribulations to help them 'crack it' at Super League level in the future.

That's according to head of youth John Bastian, who watched Academy products Brandon Pickersgill, James Bentley and Brandan Wilkinson again show their potential in Sunday's home defeat to Featherstone.

Judging on the Under-19s' 25-18 victory over Wakefield beforehand, a conveyor belt of talent is waiting to join them in the first team – and Bastian believes some of this current crop can rise to the top of the game.

He said: "There's definitely the talent there to crack it at Super League level. I'd like it to be with the Bulls and we want to retain as many of our junior players as we can – that's what builds teams and a culture, and inspires the next generation of young players coming through.

"But if it's not with us then there's no reason why they can't play at that next level in Super League with someone else.

"It's clearly a big challenge. The Championship is a very physical league, but it's another big step up to Super League."

Evan Hodgson and Matthew Storton are among the other Under-19s to impress at senior level, much to Bastian's delight.

"It's very pleasing to see them involved," he added. "Because of the amount of first-team players we lost before the start of the season, some of those opportunities have come earlier than expected.

"What we went through in January and prior to that has been a testing time for those young players.

"But I expect them to learn so much from it. It's not the type of learning that you want every year, but I'm sure going into next season we'll see a marked improvement in those young men.

"They'll make mistakes, of course they will, but if they do the little things right and set good moral standards for themselves there's no reason why they can't have fantastic careers at a very high level."

* FORMER Bulls skipper Leon Pryce will be signing copies of his new autobiography, Pryceless, on Friday at Waterstones Bradford from 12-1.30pm and on Saturday at Bradford Bulls Club Shop from 12-2pm.