JOHN Kear has voiced his criticism of rugby league’s dual-reg system – and fears it is having a knock-on effect with numbers playing the game.

The Bulls coach is no fan of the policy which allows players to be registered with their own club as well as another lower down the ladder.

Kear’s side had a link-up with Toronto Wolfpack in League One last year but have no arrangement this season as the likes of recent Odsal opponents Leigh do with St Helens.

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Kear feels it distorts the competition with so many borrowed Super League players being brought in – and revealed he turned down the chance to do the same to solve his club’s injury crisis at half-back.

Kear said: “We’ve talked about the problems we’ve had with the half-backs. There was a massive temptation to dual-reg with a Super League club who I know we could have got a half-back from.

“But we stuck to our principles and beliefs. We want the Bradford fans to support a Bradford Bulls team.

“We might have copped for one on the side of the chin because of that. But it was worth taking it.

“It’s not Bradford Bulls if you’ve got five or six players from another team. You’re not supporting Bradford Bulls, you’re supporting the Bulls and whichever team you’re dual reg with.”

Kear is a massive advocate of the reserve grade but the Bulls remain in a minority of clubs who still run a second team. He fears the shift towards a dual-reg policy instead has a negative impact on players trying to break into the game.

“I think it’s one of the banes of rugby league,” he added. “The people who took away the reserves and brought this in have a lot to answer for, with regards to the health and state of the playing numbers participation-wise and quality-wise.

“Think of a player who might have worked all pre-season with his club and then trained all week to put himself available for selection. Then a Super League team dual-regs with you and make a big-name player available in your position.

“So that hard work is all to waste. And then we wonder why we’re losing players from the participation group. Well, that’s one of the reasons.

“I’ve got a massive distaste for it.

“I’m not daft enough not to use it if we needed because it’s within the rules. But I don’t like it one iota.”