JOHN Kear has been a “rock” during the Bulls’ troubled times.

Part owner Mark Sawyer today stressed the importance of the experienced coach’s presence while the club were facing financial turmoil.

The Bulls are beginning to come out the other side as focus switches to matters on the field again rather than off it.

And Sawyer believes Kear deserves real credit for that.

He said: “John has told me on numerous occasions that he is genuinely confident. Just fingers crossed that we don’t get any injuries.

“Other than that, he’s very hopeful that we will be more than competitive this season. I certainly take confidence from him and so do other people involved with the club.

“His positive attitude and that of the likes of Steve Crossley rubs off on the whole squad. He has been a rock during difficult times.”

With season-ticket sales into four figures, the new owners are taking a more positive approach heading into the 2020 campaign and hope the fans are feeling more reassured about the club’s future.

Sawyer added: “They are looking forward to a trip to Castleford on Boxing Day, rather than wondering whether the club will still be there by that time.

“The interest in Bradford is amazing, really. Our website is on a platform with a number of Super League clubs.

“The many times the Bradford site crashes out is simply down to the volume of people visiting.

“The amount of interest is way and above your average, run of the mill club.

“We’re getting positive messages out now like the season-ticket sales because that shows people care about the club. It gives confidence to others to maybe buy one as well.”

Sawyer has left Kear in sole charge of recruitment – a task that the coach is confident of fulfilling as talks continue with several targets.

“I’d like to think the club are a more attractive proposition now,” said Sawyer. “But obviously we’re playing out of Bradford at the moment which isn’t ideal.

“That’s why our campaign, Bringing the Bulls Back to Bradford, is at the forefront of people’s minds.

“But it’s also about getting a decent team and attracting the right sort of players in there.”