Terry Newton admits the Bulls can't afford any more slow starts or they risk being overtaken in the race for Super League glory.

The joint-leaders head to Hull FC for a seismic collision on Friday night fresh from a 52-22 walloping of Hull KR.

But some careless football meant their opponents on Sunday had trailed by only two points early in the second half and it needed a devastating spell of four tries in six minutes to bring the Bulls out of their daze.

Hooker Newton concedes they can't slumber at the KC Stadium.

"We weren't so happy with that first-half performance," he said.

"Steve (McNamara) came in and gave us some harsh words and rightly so.

"If we want to be the best side in Super League, and when we're playing top teams like Hull this week, we can't afford to start off games like that.

"We can't just turn up, we've got to start getting it right and we're not happy with how we won that match."

The Great Britain star was at the heart of the Bulls' resurgence with some inspired dummy-half play off the bench.

Newton raised the tempo with a series of cutting breaks and try-making passes and Rovers just couldn't live with him.

It was a welcome sight for the player and his boss. Newton has been dogged by a bicep injury suffered during the Carnegie Challenge Cup win against Castleford last month and feared he may need an operation.

With Shontayne Hape, Glenn Morrison, Marcus St Hilaire and James Evans already all crocked, losing another pivotal player could have proved disastrous.

But medical reports returned on Friday confirmed it wasn't as serious as first thought, he was passed fit and the only signs of distress were in his opponents' faces as Newton ran them ragged.

"I got the all clear, which was great news, from the specialist and now I can just get on with things," he said.

"The tendon on the bicep is still torn but it's not a big problem.

"It's something we've got to keep on top of for the rest of the year and manage with the physio but it's okay.

"I want to start playing well again now. I've been a bit stop-start so far with injuries and the suspension."

The 28-year-old added: "It's an easy game when you run hard and play the ball fast as gaps are going to appear.

"That's when we're at our best and we eventually did it against Hull KR but we've got to do it from the off."

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