Ben Jeffries believes the Bulls should be aiming to win “at least 90 per cent” of their home games next season.

Mick Potter’s men tasted victory just six times at Odsal last term, a record which kept them out of the Super League play-off places for the third year in succession.

Jeffries admits a marked improvement is vital if his side are to harbour serious hopes of a top-eight finish.

Bradford open their campaign with a home clash against Catalan Dragons on Sunday, February 5.

Half-back Jeffries is expecting a tough test from Potter’s former club, who made significant strides last season and claimed a highly creditable sixth place in the final table.

They thumped Hull KR at home in their first play-off encounter before finding themselves on the receiving end of a heavy loss in their preliminary semi-final at Wigan.

Jeffries, 31, said: “It’s nice to be at Odsal first up against Catalan.

“Their final game of last season probably wasn’t their best-ever match but they had a fantastic year and unearthed a couple of players too. I know they will be looking to kick on from that as well.

“It will be tough – but every game will be tough. It’s really important to put the home games to our advantage throughout the year.

“You want to win at least 90 per cent of your games at home. You might lose the odd one but you pretty much want to stay undefeated at home.”

Jeffries did not head home to Australia during the close-season and says he is feeling all the better for it. Instead he enjoyed a family holiday to Italy.

The Wakefield-based Aussie explained: “I had a good break and it was the first time I’d not been back to Australia.

“My wife and I had to stay here. We’ve just become British citizens, so hopefully that will take me off the quota. I’ve got a little daughter at school here and that’s important for her.

“We decided to visit a bit of Europe, so we went to Rome. It’s a fantastic place with a lot of history. I visited all the sights and it was sensational. I’d go back there in a flash.

“To be honest, I feel fresher for staying in Europe. Going back to Australia can be quite tiring, going from place to place to place.

“Sometimes you don’t feel like you’ve had a holiday. So we just stayed here and relaxed most of the time and just had a little family holiday, which was good.”