Playing still priority as Diskin looks forward to next Bradford Bulls season (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Playing still priority as Matt Diskin looks forward to next Bradford Bulls season

7:10am Monday 8th October 2012 in Bulls By Ross Heppenstall, Bradford Bulls Reporter

Matt Diskin insists he has plenty of rugby left in him yet and is determined to lead the Bulls into a successful new era.

The joint Bradford skipper enjoyed a glorious association at Leeds, helping the Rhinos to four Super League title successes before moving to Odsal ahead of the 2012 campaign.

Now 30, the Dewsbury-born hooker is approaching the autumn of his career but has not even considered the prospect of moving into coaching and is focused solely on playing for the foreseeable future.

“I’ve got another year left on my contract and I’m already looking forward to pre-season,” said Diskin.

“I’ve had a great career and I’m looking to achieve more with the Bulls being captain with Heath (L’Estrange) under this new set-up.

“If I’m enjoying my rugby next year, I’ll carry on. Coaching isn’t really something I’ve considered or something I’ve ruled out because I’ve got some rugby left in me yet.

“I’ve got a young family and I think I’d look forward to having a more normal life where I can go on holidays and things at a normal time.

“As a coach you can’t do that because of the hours you have to put into the job.”

Diskin’s experience will be vital next term as the Bulls look to rebuild under new coach Francis Cummins, who he played with at Headingley.

Diskin said: “Franny gave a really inspiring talk to us all last week about making the most of our careers as sportsmen and how we’ve got to make them as fruitful as they can be.

“I’ve been lucky to have played in talented teams and have been blessed with a lot of trophies.

“We’ve got a good mix of young, talented kids such as John Bateman and Adam O’Brien, who are just starting out in their careers.

“For them to have successful careers by playing internationally, winning Super League trophies and Challenge Cups, they’ve got to make some sacrifices for themselves, their families and for the club to make sure they achieve that.

“We’re a little bit light on numbers at the moment but we’ve got that solid foundation to build on now.

“We’ve no cracks going forward and for the long-term future of the club, that’s the best thing for us.”