JOHN Kear might have had second thoughts about sending James Davies to Keighley if he had seen the Challenge Cup white-out coming.

Davies today starts a one-month loan with the Cougars – and could fit five games into that time.

Bulls coach Kear was happy to let Craig Lingard borrow the forward, who is yet to feature this season after making 15 appearances last year.

But the Bulls now face four games in a fortnight, including the rejigged Challenge Cup trip to Sunday’s league opponents Hunslet, and Kear is set to utilise all his resources.

The pack, especially, will have to be carefully managed with their workload – and letting Davies go to Cougar Park leaves them one light in that department.

Kear said: “Obviously the decision might have been different had we known the outcome of last week.

“It’s a fine balancing act but I agreed with Craig well prior to the weekend.

“We stood by that agreement and we should do. You should be men of your word and clubs of your word.

“But we’ll be monitoring James to see how it goes. He's very much in our thinking.”

The Davies deal was mooted a fortnight ago after the Bulls beat Keighley in a reserve game at Dudley Hill.

Kear added: “James played really well and Craig took note of him. He was badgering me straight after the game.

“We agreed to release James for a month for him to get some regular first-team rugby. Obviously, that was prior to the bad weather.

“But if you agree something, you can’t go back on it. It will be very good for James.

“His month starts today and that means he’ll get five weekends, so he’ll get five first-team games.

“He starts at York on Sunday. I told him if he goes over there and helps Keighley beat them, then the plan’s worked brilliantly!”