HAPPY New Year to all - we hope you had a wonderful Christmas break and are looking forward to 2020.

And what a year it promises to be for the Bulls. Our victory over Castleford on Boxing Day was a very positive sign that the 2020 team will be able to compete with any side in the Championship.

We all know there will be some significant challenges along the way, but with resolve and tenacity, our hope is that the club will be stronger at the end of the season than it was in the September just gone.

Pre-season is where the steel is sharpened and the side is galvanized into a well-oiled machine. This season’s training and build-up matches have a heightened importance with so many new faces involved.

For that reason, preparation is key, and you can rest assured that John Kear is putting the players through the ringer. Don’t take my word for it....if you want a taste of how we will stack up this coming campaign you should drop by one of our four remaining pre-season matches.

It’s an all-Yorkshire schedule and there will be something for everyone in each encounter.

This Sunday we return to action again against Hunslet at the South Leeds Stadium. This will be a key encounter as the side will contain a healthy mix of senior and academy players all looking to make their mark and establish themselves in what is becoming a very competitive Bradford Bulls first team.

The Hunslet squad will be looking to prove their credentials and raise their morale ahead of what will be one of the most competitive League One seasons in recent memory. This is a recipe for a fiery encounter and our lads will need your support on enemy territory.

Looking ahead to next week and January 12, we have another fixture with Leeds Rhinos at Headingley Stadium, which has assumed much greater significance than usual.

In light of recent news that rugby league legend Rob Burrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, the Bradford Bulls will donate all our proceeds from this match to the Rob Burrow Fund.

As chairman I urge you to attend this massive occasion and help support a man who is a legend both on and off the field.

We know Leeds are planning for this to be a great celebration of everything that is positive about rugby league, with some surprise guest appearances. We at the Bulls are looking forward to playing a full role in this poignant occasion.

Dewsbury have been gracious enough to take us in this season, while we fight for a better situation at home in Bradford. The fixture with them gives us a chance to make ourselves familiar with our temporary home.

While our relationship with the Rams off the field is very strong, the lads will be looking to be bad house guests when we take them on at the Tetley’s Stadium on January 19.

Finally we take on rivals York City Knights at the Tetley’s Stadium in our final run-out on January 26. This will be our last chance to get things right before what is arguably the toughest possible start to a season when we play London, York, and Featherstone in our first three matches.

York have made tremendous progress over the past three years, with quality leadership and steady progress on and off the field. They are a credit to all concerned but 2020 will throw up different challenges for the club - they won't be surprise packages and their spend on players will be significantly higher as a consequence of their high finish in the table.

There is much to admire as to how they have gone about their business and with a new council-backed stadium on the horizon this season, it is a model we at the Bulls are looking at closely. There is truly a reason to take in every match we have in what will be an entertaining pre-season.

In other news, no doubt you will have seen Rhys Evans has been loaned to Leeds for the season. Rhys had a clause allowing him to take a Super League opportunity and we wish him luck this season.

In return we will receive the services of some Leeds players as well who will be announced later this month.

These will be impact players and the side will be stronger with them. We will also have further additions ready to join us under the salary cap limit that we are working under.

Finally, you will have noticed three Bulls matches have had their start time changed to accommodate broadcast on the Our League app.

I want to say Our League is a very important platform, and we urge Bulls fans to sign up for free and add the Bulls as their favourite club. Our League is about getting the Championship some much needed TV coverage which, given the broadcast situation, is a totally commendable objective.

Let’s all head out and support the Bulls in Hunslet this weekend. Come On You Bulls!