JOHN Kear insists he is “relaxed” about the current block on signing players – even though the Bulls are missing out on possible targets because of it.

The club are unable to do any deals for next year after the RFL placed them in special measures to curb spending ahead of the planned move to ground-share with Dewsbury.

It means Kear can only watch for now while rivals are able to announce new recruits for 2020.

But the Bulls coach, who has 14 contracted players for next year as it stands, is not panicking.

He said: “We’re just concentrating on the last game of the season.

“We’ll look to play against Rochdale this weekend and then address any problems after that.

“Obviously when the special measures are lifted, we’ll hopefully get in the market and get some players signed.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a matter of dialogue between the administrators and office staff of Bradford and the RFL.

“At the minute, we’re quite relaxed. We’ll hopefully win our last game and then we’ve come sixth in the league.”

Inevitably, potential signings may choose other options rather than waiting around for the Bulls to be cleared to do a deal. But Kear accepts that they will lose out on some.

“Would you have a bird in the hand or one in the bush?” he added.

“That’s the situation. If you’ve got something concrete written down against a verbal promise, you’d go for the thing that’s written down.

“That’s the way it is. It’s not something that I’m worrying my pretty little head about.

“Some players have signed elsewhere but there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s understandable.

“It’s pointless making plans until we know we’re out of the special measures. That’s how we are going forward with it.

“Also, I know I’m a good coach and I know we’ve got a good group of players here already.

“I’m confident we can do well next year.”

Matty Garside misses Sunday's trip to the Crown Oil Arena with a broken toe. Jy Hitchcox is also struggling to make the 19-man squad because of illness.