Defensive titan Olivier Elima wants to be known as more than just a big-hitter.

Marked out as a man to avoid due to his aggressive tackling style, the Bulls back-rower is ready to apply a similarly uncompromising attitude at the opposite end of the field.

His 6ft 3in, 16st frame alone should give opposition defences a few sleepless nights. Throw a smart offload and useful second-phase game into the mix and Elima has the potential to become one of Super League’s most potent attacking weapons.

He said: “I enjoy defence but I’m working hard on the offence as well. People think I’m just a defensive guy but I do a lot of things taking the ball in too.

“These are the kind of things I want to do and that (head coach) Mick (Potter) wants from me. He knows I’m a good defender but can be a good attacker as well.

“I scored quite a few tries during my time at Catalans and it’s just a matter of when I’m going to get settled in here.

“It’s just going to take time for me to get to know the guys and for them to get to know me too.”

Signed from Catalan Dragons at the end of last season, Elima was late arriving at Bradford due to an autumn spent on European Cup duty with France.

But a slow start with the ball has not impacted upon his work without it. Through the first four games of the campaign, Elima ranks among Super League’s top 15 tacklers, having made 129 despite playing limited minutes.

Only one person on that list – Hull FC’s Danny Houghton – has missed fewer than the 27-year-old Frenchman, a fact he attributes to a greater maturity in his timing and technique.

“It’s all about completing tackles and dominating opponents but I do enjoy putting big hits in as long as it’s on,” said Elima.

“The main thing is really to be efficient. There’s no point smashing someone if they are able to get back up and get ball on the front foot.

“Personally, I’m happy to be in the team doing all I can to make it right and the last couple of games have been pretty good.

“After playing less minutes against Wigan and Crusaders, I played a bit longer against Wakefield and everything went well for me.”

More minutes resulted in greater productivity against the Wildcats. Starting at loose forward in the absence of Jamie Langley, Elima took on greater responsibility going forward and played a part in at least two of his side’s seven tries during a 40-18 win.

A smart offload in the build-up to Tom Olbison’s score was the highlight and an impressive all-round performance earned praise from Potter.

“I thought Olivier was very good at the weekend,” said the Bulls head coach, who previously worked with Elima in 2008 while coach of Catalan Dragons.

“There are some little areas where he can improve – he knows that himself and we’ve gone through the video with him.

“I think he’s definitely improving. He’s a top-quality player, he’s an international player and he’s starting to come up with those plays that really help the team move forward.

“Whether it’s a try-scoring play, a contribution to a try-scoring play or a try-saving play, he’s right in there.

“It was his offload that created the opportunity for the first try and he busted the line a couple of other times.

“He’s a big, strong man and defensively solid as well, so he’s probably one person you don’t want to run at.”