Tom Holmes determined to reach playoffs with Bradford Bulls

The fullback made his made his comeback appearance at Odsal on Monday night, as the hosts suffered a 14-10 defeat against the Barrow Raiders.

Holmes, who had been nursing a knee injury prior to his return to the starting lineup, admitted that he’s feeling positive about his own personal setbacks ahead of he and his teammates entering the final stretch of the Betfred Championship season.

He said: “I was absolutely buzzing to be back out there on Monday night as I think it was near on six weeks that I missed. We’ve taken it steady; each week I’ve sat down with the physio, Greeny (Lee Greenwood) and Nobby (Brian Noble) to evaluate my situation.

“We’ve not wanted to push it because we are in a very important part of the season. Could I have come back a week sooner? I’m not too sure, but I feel it was the perfect time to return.

“My knee felt fine and by the end of it I was building up a bit of rhythm. A few new players have been brought in since I’ve been out, so it was nice to get some combinations going with those lads.”

Holmes added: “I’m hoping so (injuries in the past) because I’m at the stage now with my knee where I’ve got to manage it as best as I can. I could have been out for a lot longer but our physio, Grace (Lennox) has been great with me and she’s done brilliantly to get me in the right place to be able to play.

“There’s not long left until the end of the season, so whether I need to have another look at my knee at the end is another story, but right now I feel in a good shape to play.”

Tom Holmes looks to wriggle away from a Barrow challenge on Monday evening (Image: Tom Pearson)

Holmes, who has been Bradford’s standout player this term, believes he’s got a lot to offer this Bradford side in the final period of the season, despite his absence from the team in recent weeks.

He said: “I always look to bring a bit of energy to the team and that will be no different towards the end of the season.

“When I catch the ball at the back, it’s important that I’m not skipping around, but instead sprinting towards the line and trying to bump players off; something a little bit different.

“I’m predominantly a half-back so when I get miles on the ball, then I’m hoping to come up with some crucial plays in the forward areas. I want to be known as an exciting player.

“I’ve had some comments over the last few months from people regarding the team missing my energy, so I want to keep that up on a personal level as we get into the final stretch of the season.

“I’m loving my time as a fullback and I want to be able to prove myself so I can be a starting fullback next year too, so hopefully I can help the team the best I can now that I’m back.”

Holmes’ return to action didn’t go to plan as the Bulls’ sluggish display against Barrow brought defeat for Greenwood’s men, a result that disappointed the fullback.

He said: “It was a really tough one to take. I’ve watched my own clips and gone over the game myself at home and at the club, so I’ve watched it a few times now and it doesn’t look better whenever I watch it.

“We know we are a very good team; we’ve got quality players throughout the squad, but we let ourselves down through discipline, penalties and errors during the game consistently.

“As cliché as it is, we’ve got to put that performance right and there’s no better way to do that than at Batley on Sunday.”

Holmes added: “We are still in the top six and if you look across the board, anybody can beat anybody. If you’re not on your game in this league, then you’ll be punished.

“Thankfully, we are in control of our own destiny, so by being in that position, we can’t control any result but our own. A good week of training is what we need and is what we’ve had. It’s important that we get back to being that team that is resilient, disciplined with and without the ball, and courageous.

“When we are those things, we are definitely one of the best teams in the competition.”

Looking ahead to Bradford’s trip to Batley on Sunday, Holmes said: “It’s not really the pressure that I’m feeling going into the Batley game; it’s more of a drive within side me to right some wrongs from Monday because it hurt a lot.

“Obviously, there is pressure from the outside looking in but for us it’s about determination because we really need this win. We’re under no illusion now that we need to pick up some wins to really cement our spot in the playoffs.

“It’s a tough place to go is Batley; I know that myself because I was on loan for eight games there and teams hate going there. However, we are really looking forward to going there because what would be better than beating Batley at their own ground?”