ROWAN Milnes has provided a pre-season lift to the Bulls with his return to training.

The 20-year-old was back with his former club at Tong for his first session on Thursday ahead of a season-long loan in 2020.

Milnes was one of the six players to leave the Bulls for Hull KR along with Ethan Ryan, Joe Keyes, Elliot Minchella, Matty Storton and Academy product Anesu Mudoti.

But John Kear secured a deal to get him back for their second Championship campaign – and is delighted to see him at Tong once more.

Kear said: “Rowan will be sharing his time between us and Hull Kingston Rovers up until Christmas. Then after that he is just with us totally.

“In agreement with Mike Smith, the chief exec at Hull KR, and Tony Smith, the head coach, we felt it was good to start pre-season with Rovers.

“That gave him the chance to get to know his new club and team-mates as from next year.

“Obviously he’s getting Super League rehab in a Super League environment. I was really relaxed about that.

“That was right up to the end of November but now we’re sharing him. Early part of the week he’ll be at Rovers, the latter part with us before he stays here from Christmas.

“Tony Smith has been absolutely fantastic with his co-operation so we’re really pleased how it’s working out.”

Milnes played 12 games for the Bulls last year before his season was cruelly cut short at the start of June with a broken leg.

He had to be stretchered off in the first half of the Challenge Cup quarter-final loss to Halifax.

But he is fighting fit again after a full recovery and Kear is already looking forward to seeing him work in tandem once more with Jordan Lilley.

The Bulls head coach added: “Him and Jordan played half-back together for a number of games last year. It’s not as if we’re teaching people to suck eggs.

“There is a certain background knowledge they’ve got about us, their team-mates and how we want to play.

“Obviously there will be variations this year. There has to be every year because if you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got.

“There’s got to preparation and variation but it comes from a very sound background.”

With no Keyes or Minchella, the mantle for goal-kicking duty will be between the two of them.

Kear said: “Rowan’s a very good kicker as he demonstrated in the Challenge Cup win against Leeds when he took over from Elliot. He just showed nerves of steel that day in a pressure occasion.

"It will be the two of them.”