JOHN Kear believes the frantic fortnight coming up can work in the Bulls’ favour.

Tomorrow’s visit from Hunslet kicks off a run of four games in the next 15 days that will test the resources at Odsal.

Kear is confident his squad have the depth to cope with a period that will also see them play twice over Easter before a trip to Leon Pryce’s Workington.

“You could see it as a negative now playing four games over a short period,” said Kear. “But I don’t think it is.

“For me, it’s a positive because it really will allow us to get battle-hardened and used to week in, week out rugby for the rest of the season.”

The Bulls have been kicking their heels since the convincing derby win at Keighley after last week’s Challenge Cup tie at Hunslet was snowed off. That trip to the Hawks has now been crammed in for Easter Monday.

It was their second postponement and Kear admitted the players are frustrated at the stop-start nature of the season so far.

He added: “We’re getting to know a lot about each other. We’re getting to know the systems and structures.

“We’re getting our combinations right with our team-mates and then there’s like another stutter.

“They were really disappointed last week. They were hoping beyond hope the game was going to be on, as we all were.

“But you can only control the ‘controllables’ and that’s what we’re doing.

“No matter how good the club is or whoever, the weather has got a mind of its own.

“You saw the part of that Wakefield and Widnes game. Wakefield are a club close to my heart but it was absolutely atrocious.

“If you’d paid in to see that, you’d have been really disappointed because it wasn’t a Super League standard game. That wasn’t down to the players but the conditions.”

The unexpected break has allowed Jake Butler-Fleming time to settle in to his new surroundings and the Australian utility back will come in for his debut tomorrow.

Kear plans to switch things about with only a five-day gap to facing Oldham and then three to the Hunslet re-match in the cup.

“I would say we’ve got one and three-quarter teams of quality players,” he said.

“Rest assured, they will all have a shot over these four games.

“We’ve got to make sure everything is monitored, everything is planned and prepared and we try to keep everybody as fresh as possible.

“You look at the quality of personnel. I feel we’ve got good depth and I’m quite confident.

“You try and prevent injury, fatigue, and if they are in a workhorse position you certainly have to make sure there’s an element of rest and rotation.

“It’s been good we’ve brought in Butler-Fleming and he will play this week. That will allow one of the three-quarters to have a breather.

“That player will then come in for the Oldham game and that’s how we will intend to do it, so we maintain some energy and enthusiasm throughout.”

Hunslet yesterday signed prop Jack Blagborough from Leigh as part of their dual-reg arrangement with the Championship club.

The 24-year-old and former Bulls loanee Josh Jordan-Roberts, borrowed last week from Leeds, go straight into their squad.

Kear joked: “I probably know more about Hunslet than I do about my own team!

“We’re well prepped, so that takes a bit of pressure off the players.”