BULLS believe they are still on target to unveil a new man at the helm by next weekend.

Dewsbury coach Neil Kelly, former Odsal hero Paul Anderson and Jon Sharp are among the names thought to be in the mix to replace Geoff Toovey.

Interviews will begin on Monday as the Bulls hierarchy continue to sift through the large number of applications from both England and overseas.

Sharp, who left Featherstone in the middle of last season, emerged as the early favourite for the vacancy. But it is understood that interest within the club has cooled since his name first became public.

Former Leeds Rhinos forward Matt Adamson is also thought to have expressed an interest but is unlikely to be in contention.

Bulls are keen to bring in someone they can “build a future on” rather than looking for another short-term fix for their first experience of third-tier rugby.

Operations manager Russ MacFarlane, head of youth John Bastian and football manager Stuart Duffy are overseeing the appointment process. They will then recommend a choice to co-owners Andrew Chalmers, who is currently back in New Zealand, and Graham Lowe.

An initial statement said they would look to make an announcement by December 10 at the latest and they remain confident of hitting that deadline.

The squad have been back in pre-season training for nearly a month but the absence of a head coach is not seen as a problem with the early work focused on fitness.

Leigh Beattie, who is once again taking the reins on an interim basis, and under-16s coach Mark Dunning are nominally in charge. But the gym programme has been drawn up by strength and conditioning expert Chris Black.

A coach will be installed in time for the five planned friendlies, which kick off on Boxing Day against Halifax at Odsal.