A stunning interception try earned Elliott Whitehead the plaudits in the Bulls’ 24-24 draw at Dewsbury on Friday night but still did not provide him satisfaction.

The 20-year-old back-rower refused to get carried away by his surprise score, instead offering a harsh “not good enough” evaluation of his own performance.

Whitehead was denied the glory of scoring the winning try as the Bulls let Dewsbury back into the game in the final minutes to earn their share of the spoils.

He admits both he and his young team-mates are still on a steep learning curve.

“I thought my try was the winner but we gave it away last minute, so all the boys are gutted,” said Whitehead.

“It’s a learning curve for the young lads like me and the senior players got some good game-time as well. We made a lot of errors, so there’s stuff to learn on for us all really.

“I didn’t really play my best. I had a few dodgy offloads but it’s all a learning curve for me, so it was a good experience.”

Whitehead, entering his second season as a full-time professional, now feels far better prepared for the rigours of Super League.

After making his first-team debut last year, the Bulls academy product planted himself firmly in head coach Steve McNamara’s thoughts, finishing the season with seven appearances under his belt.

But Whitehead knows the hard work has only just started.

“I’ve enjoyed pre-season, I feel a lot stronger and fitter than I have done for the last couple of seasons and I feel bigger,” he said.

“This is my second season of full-time training. It’s a bit of a shock when you first start it but now I get on better with the rest of the lads and feel a part of the team.”

A productive pre-season has raised hopes of a revival at Odsal, with the disappointment of missing out on last year’s play-offs still fresh in the minds.

The arrival of six new faces, including Aussie superstar Matt Orford, has fans talking of a top-four finish.

But Whitehead, keen not to look too far in the future, is focused firmly on the final pre-season trial against Hull KR on Thursday.

He said: “Everyone’s buzzing and as a team we feel better. We got on a good run at the end of last season and we’re looking to carry that on this year.

“We’ve brought in good-quality players and have some good combinations. We’ve all been working hard in pre-season and we’re just going to take it steady, game-by-game and then we’ll see what happens.

“Hopefully we’ll compete well. I feel like pre-season’s gone well for me too and hopefully I’ve impressed Steve enough to get myself a place in the team at Hull KR.”