BRADFORD Bulls full-back Brandon Pickersgill is targeting a top four finish, and a win at big rivals Halifax on Sunday could go a long way towards securing that.

Bulls were floored by a narrow 36-30 defeat to Featherstone last weekend, but it was a big improvement after two bruising defeats to the same opposition earlier in the season.

Fev have not lost a league game since 2019, but Fax are on a reasonable run of their own, having won six in a row.

That means third plays fourth on Sunday, and Pickersgill cannot wait, saying: “It’s always a massive game when we play Halifax.

“When we played them last time, it went down to a drop goal, and if that happens again so be it. We’re confident going into it.”

The focus goes beyond just Halifax though, and Pickersgill said: “We know our targets in camp, and where we want to finish.

“We’ve had a really good year so far and we’re confident we’re not going to let it slip.

“Halifax is massive then we’ve got seven big games after that. We want to put our best foot forward, hopefully secure the play-offs, then go into those good and strong.

“If you come third or fourth this year, you know you’re going to get a home game, and that’s something we’ve really targeted.

“It would be great to have a packed-out Odsal, which would be bouncing around play-off time. That’s our aim, to finish third or fourth.

“Finishing in the play-offs is a good achievement as it is, but we don’t just want to be good, we’re striving for that third or fourth spot, as I think first and second are pretty secure.”

Fev are in one of those top two spots, but they were given an almighty fright by Bulls, and Pickersgill mused: “The coaches will largely be happy with what we’ve done, but those key little parts have killed us and we’re upset with them.

“We’ll try and improve on them going forward, as we need that 80-minute performance.

“Coming up to the play-offs that’s what will get you the wins.”

And Pickersgill includes Featherstone in that, saying: “The past two games against them were really disappointing and we felt we didn’t play to our ability at all.

“We did here, but there were still things to improve on going forward.

“If we do play them again in the play-offs, we can really attack them and there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

And that is partly because Pickersgill expects a much stronger Bulls line up for the play-offs.

He said: “You’re lucky to go through a season without players getting injured, it happens to every team, but we have some real key personnel missing, like Jordan Lilley and Danny Brough, our two regular starting halves.

“Aaron Murphy has loads of experience too, so they’re massive losses for us.

“We adapted really well against Fev, but you can’t buy experience, and maybe if we’d had those three, it’d have gone our way.

“With players coming back, it’s a battle for shirts, and you’ve got to put your best foot forward or you won’t be playing.

“There’ll be some harsh calls when there are 21 or 22 fit players and everyone wants to play in the play-offs.

“You’ve got to treat every game now as if it is a play-off one.”