GEOFF Toovey is puzzled by Toulouse Olympique.

Bradford Bulls meet the French team for the third time this season tomorrow in the Kingstone Press Championship, and Bulls' head coach Toovey said: "I thought they would be a top-four team for sure."

However, instead they are the Bulls' first opponent in the Championship Shield at Odsal after finishing fifth, a point behind Featherstone Rovers.

Toovey added: "Toulouse are a great side with some quality individuals, and I am very surprised that they are not in the top four."

The French club won nine of their 11 home matches, six times topping 40 points and only losing to London Broncos and Halifax, but they lost five of their 11 away games, including all against the current bottom three – Bulls, Oldham Roughyeds and Swinton Lions – and five of the current bottom seven (also going down to Dewsbury Rams and Sheffield Eagles).

"I know that you have to factor in the travelling for Toulouse's away games, but travelling is also an issue for visitors in their home matches, plus Toulouse's home support and the familiarity of their surroundings and what not," said Toovey.

The Bulls are drinking in the last-chance saloon in terms of avoiding relegation, though, and need to win all of their seven matches and still hope that other results go their way.

"It has been a very difficult season for everyone at the club", said the 48-year-old former Australian international half-back in what is surely the biggest test of a stellar career in which he captained Manly to the 1996 ARL Premiership and 1995 and 1997 Grand Finals.

Toovey said: "Such were the circumstances that we were faced with at the beginning of the season, and we didn't really get a lucky break and things didn't go our way, but the players have really hung in there strongly, haven't fallen away and have been as good as they could be.

"Some of our players were signed by other clubs due to the uncertainty, we signed others to replace them but we have also suffered some long-term injuries and have gone back to square one because they have been out for the season – but these are not excuses and I love a challenge.

"We'll get there and all we can do is hope for the best."