Paul Sykes is determined to make Catalans bear the brunt of his frustration after spending an agonising fortnight on the sidelines.

Having missed the Bulls’ last two games through suspension, a sense of guilt only added to the disappointment of a ten-game losing run.

In his absence Bradford have struggled to find a balance at half-back, forwards Steve Menzies and Danny Addy lining up there against Hull KR.

Now Sykes is ready to take on the responsibility of helping to guide the team round the pitch.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “With the form we’ve been in you feel like you’ve let the team down but unfortunately these things happen.

“The ban’s up now and I can’t wait to get back out there. It’s about making up for lost time. I should be fresh and raring to go.

“We should have won the last two weeks, even though we’ve had a few injuries.

“Catalans will be a tough game, they’ve got some big boys, but we’re confident we can finish the season on a high.”

Until this season, stand-off remained a relatively unfamiliar position for Sykes, having spent the majority of his career at full back or centre.

The England international had begun to strike up a promising partnership with Matt Orford until the Aussie playmaker suffered a season-ending injury, which forced Sykes to step up as the dominant half.

He said: “There is pressure on me but I’m getting used to it now.

“Everyone’s got to chip in together, it’s not about one person.

“You’ve got to help each other out in a game and if they help me out it makes it a lot easier on the pitch.

“It is hard when everyone’s swapping roles but we’ve got to deal with it. I’m learning every time I train and I enjoy playing there, although I’m not enjoying losing games.”