GEOFF Toovey is not getting carried away by the return of Mikolaj Oledzki and Cameron Smith as the Bulls launch their Championship Shield campaign.

The Leeds Rhinos duo are back in contention for Sunday’s opening game against fifth-placed Toulouse at Odsal.

Both re-signed on loan last week, which will ensure they remain in the Bulls’ ranks for the full seven games of the competition.

But Toovey, wary of the numerous pitfalls his side have encountered all season, remains cautious.

He said: “We’re hoping it works out that way. But as soon as I have a bit of hope, something turns round and bites you on the backside.

“Whether it be injuries or suspensions or something along those lines, things happen.

“But hopefully having had the break over the weekend, it will do us all good and we’ll have more numbers on the field.”

It looks a hopeless task for the Bulls going into the Bottom Eights 11 points behind second-from-bottom Oldham. But Toovey remains optimistic that the team will give a good account of themselves.

He added: “We’ll set a target. If we play to our ability then we can win all games at this back end of the competition – that’s our aim.

“We started the year pretty well and then it’s well documented we lost our halves and the loan players went.

“We fell away in some close losses. But when you’re not winning you have to work twice as hard to turn things round.”

The weekend break came at a handy time for the Bulls. It has given Joe Keyes and Ross Peltier time to recover and the players a chance to regroup after the depressing defeat at home to Swinton.

Toovey added: “It was one of those. We had 11 minutes less ball than they had in the whole game, which is just incredible.

“In the first half I think we had four good ball sets and they had eight.

“It was a very brave effort (when we were) down to 12 men but if you’re not winning it doesn’t really matter does it.”