JOHN Kear doesn’t want George Flanagan to change.

The battle-hardened hooker is back in action this weekend after serving his lengthy ban.

Flanagan has not played since last August when he was suspended for attacking an opponent’s testicles.

But the 33-year-old returns to the fray in the Bulls’ Challenge Cup fourth-round clash with amateurs Underbank Rangers.

And Kear said: “The reason we signed George Flanagan is because we want him to be George Flanagan.

“We’re very pleased to have him back because he’s very important to us. He’s one of our experienced players.

“He’s been round the block and can certainly help some of our younger lads.

“George has been fantastic in training. His attitude has been tremendous and he’s been good with the young players as well.”

Sunday’s game at Dewsbury pits the Bulls against the lowest-ranked side left in the competition after Underbank’s shock 30-8 win at West Wales in the previous round.

Kear added: “You go back to the Leeds game when we were massive underdogs and managed to come out on top.

“It’s a nice little tale we can relay to our players to keep them on their toes with regards to the challenge that Underbank present.

“We’re going through exactly the same process and preparation as we did last week for Featherstone.

"We've reviewed our own performance and previewing Underbank, pointing out their threats and also the possible opportunities for us as well.

"We're being as professional as we can and we obviously expect the players to be similarly so."