Fired-up Bulls are intent on making Odsal a House of Pain this year - with Harlequins the first victims.

Brian Noble's men became a soft touch on home territory last season before toughening up and embarking on a

winning run that climaxed in Grand Final glory.

The Bulls lost against Wakefield, Leeds, Warrington and endured an embarrassing 66-4 hammering at the hands of St Helens, while they could only draw with relegated Widnes.

But the champions aim to reclaim their once-proud home record in 2006, enforce a season-long shut-out and make Odsal a place to be dreaded by opposition ranks.

Harlequins are the first visitors this evening and second-rower Paul Johnson admits the Bulls are desperate to dish out a warning to the rest of Super League.

"It's our first game and we want to set the mark," he said.

"We want to say 'This is where we play, this is our home' and put a message across that no one's coming to Odsal and winning.

"Rather than have sides thinking they can come here and fancy their chances, we want to be feared." The Great Britain international added: "We don't want a repeat performance of last year.

"We don't know why we lost those games like we did - there was a few players missing which doesn't help and once you lose once, your confidence gets knocked and it rolls from there.

"But once we started putting those wins together, that confidence built and we went on to win 12 games in a row.

"We want to do that from the off this

season, especially here for these fans."

Having dogged it out in round one at Wakefield on Sunday, Johnson is hoping for a more fluid Bulls performance tonight but realises Harlequins are equally keen to get off the mark.

"They will have had a kicking over their defeat by Saints and all have something to prove tonight," said Johnson.

And as league and world club champions, Johnson, 27, realises they will arrive at Odsal more determined than ever.

"Everybody wants to beat the top team and we proved ourselves as the top team last year by winning this competition," he said. "Now we've got to show it again."