Stuart Fielden is hoping that history repeats itself.

Last season the Bulls were beaten 16-10 at Wigan Warriors on August 31 before they won their last four matches, including the Grand Final.

And, with a minimum of seven games left this time around, the 22-year-old Bradford prop is looking at last Friday's 50-22 home defeat by St Helens in very much the same light.

"There are no excuses for what happened against Saints - we were simply outplayed - but it was the kick up the backside that we needed," he admitted.

"Yes, St Helens were brilliant and 'killed' us, but there is no reason now why we cannot go on and do the same thing that we did last season."

Next up for the Bulls is Sunday's live TV clash against Castleford at The Jungle.

The Bulls have a good record against the Tigers in Super League, having lost only once in 16 meetings going back to 1996.

But Castleford are well in the hunt for that sixth play-off spot, along with London and Widnes, and handed Halifax their heaviest home defeat of the season only last Sunday.

Fielden said: "Castleford are a good team, they are pushing for the play-offs and they will be stronger than they were the last time we played them at Valley Parade late last month.

"They probably feel it is time they knocked off one of the big boys over, and they had to throw one or two of their kids in against us last time. This time they will have Mike Smith, Michael Eager, Andy Johnson and Nathan Sykes back.

"But we not only have to win this match for ourselves, but also to send out a message to the rest of the league - we have a point to prove to everyone."

Fielden was part of the Bulls squad that won the Middlesex Charity Sevens at Twickenham last Saturday, but ended up playing the role of water-boy.

"I was disappointed not to get a chance," said the Great Britain international.

"I would love to have played, but my feelings were softened by the way the boys performed."

Fielden added: "I was not too tired after the Saints game, but we didn't get to bed in London until 5am on Saturday because the coach that should have taken us there broke down before it arrived, and we had to use a replacement.

"We just treated it as a fun day, but once we had beaten Gloucester in the quarter-finals there was the feeling that we could win it.

"We were really helped by the Wakefield RUFC boys too, who performed brilliantly."

The Rugby Football League have been criticised in some quarters for allowing their clubs to take part in this country's premier union sevens competition.

But Fielden disagrees, saying: "It proves what great all-round athletes league players are compared to union.

"And it is great publicity for league, which normally only gets a paragraph in some national papers."