DAVID Foggin-Johnston has admitted his lengthy ban earlier this season was one of the “toughest stages of his career”, as he slowly begins to find his feet at Bulls again.

The winger worked hard to establish himself in the first team for 2022 after time on the fringes, but a red card for a poor high tackle against Leigh saw him suspended for five games.

Since then, he has been in and out of the Bulls side, and even spent a brief spell on loan at Midlands Hurricanes.

But he started and scored a try last time out against Sheffield, which he will hope to build on.

He said: “It was definitely hard to sit out for so long, and it was one of the toughest stages of my career.

“I’ve been injured before, but never banned, and it’s a different feeling.

“You can’t do anything about being injured, whereas you’re there ready but can’t play when you’re banned.

“It was especially hard because I’d worked so hard to get my spot, and since I got banned, it’s been a rollercoaster of being in and out of the side, which isn’t what I want.

“It is what it is, but it’s a tough one to take mentally.”

On his move to the Midlands back in April, Foggin-Johnston said: “I could have sat and sulked but I wanted to be ready for my chance back at Bulls.

“It was a good opportunity to play down there, Rich Squires was a good coach for me, and we got a couple of wins in my two games.

“I definitely want to play week in, week out, because as a winger, you need games to hit form.

“It’s hard being in and out, but it’s the coach’s decision at the end of the day.”

Foggin-Johnston will be glad to have some time off before the game against Dewsbury next week, as he cursed Sheffield’s astro-turf pitch from last Sunday.

When we spoke to him, he grimaced: “I’m sat at work, and my hands and knees are all cut up, to the point where I was going to get up and head home, as my hand in particular is in a bad way.

“When you’re on the astro-turf as a winger, it’s great, because there’s a lot of speed in it, and you feel so fast.

“But the aftermath is a nightmare, and I’ll be getting rid of these burns for weeks.”

But he was at least consoled by the weekend win, saying: “It was one of our best performances of the season and we did ourselves justice with a good result.

“But we’re still a long way off what we can be, and the game was a bit scrappy at times.

“We could have taken our chances better too, but it’s only the two points that matters really.”

As for his acrobatic try, Foggin-Johnston said: “To be honest, the winger’s game has changed, and I get more of a kick from gaining metres and getting carries for the forwards, winning penalties.

“Finishing off tries is just bread and butter for the winger, when really it felt good to just get back in the team.

“But yeah, I see more value now in gaining those hard yards.”