Francis Cummins believes the Bulls can emulate the recent feats of arch-rivals Leeds Rhinos.

Bradford’s newly-appointed assistant coach sees vast potential in the current squad, drawing parallels with the Rhinos team that has dominated Super League since 2004.

It is a comparison he is well-placed to make, having contributed to the Headingley side’s 2004 Grand Final win as a player before switching to the coaching staff for their trio of titles between 2007 and 2009.

That success was built on a core of home-grown talent and Cummins is confident the Bulls’ own emerging stars can emulate the likes of Kevin Sinfield, Danny McGuire and Jamie Jones-Buchanan.

He said: “I was part of that at Leeds when there was a bunch of young players who began to come through at the same time and they became a big part of the success there.

“I see that kind of potential at Bradford. They’ve been singing the praises of their young players recently and this is where the future of the club lies.

“It’s our job to help them improve and grow and you will see the true rewards in years to come.”

Cummins has dealt with overwhelming expectation as both player and coach during 18 years at Leeds and knows he will face similar pressure at Bradford.

So dominant during the first decade of Super League, the Bulls have failed to make the play-offs in each of the past two seasons and patience may be needed in aiming to regain those heady heights.

“You don’t go into coaching to put your name up in lights,” said Cummins. “You do it to work with people and help them improve.

“We’ve got some good young players so if they improve and the club keeps improving we will be happy with what we’ve achieved.

“We have the skill and potential but we can’t pretend we’re going to dominate Super League straight away. We have to build on what we’ve got.”

Despite enduring their worst ever Super League campaign in 2010, the Bulls can benefit from the game-time given to their rising stars.

Elliott Whitehead, James Donaldson and Danny Addy all played prominent roles despite their tender years and Cummins credits former coach Steve McNamara for his work in bringing them through.

He said: “There’s a recent history of success at Bradford and it can be turned around. Steve Mac has done a great job to get the club to this stage so the foundations are there.

“Along with Lee and the rest of the coaching staff, he put in a lot of hard work to develop young players and that bodes well for the club.

“If you look at any successful brand or team, unless someone has got a massive chequebook and can throw money at it, you have to build over time.”