While delighted to be back on the pitch following six games out with a knee injury, Bradford Bulls stand-off Lee Gaskell was left frustrated that the Bulls once again failed to pick up a win on Friday night.
The Bulls performed well in patches in Friday’s 24-38 defeat to Salford, but were creators of their own downfall with numerous handling errors and lapses in concentration at key moments.
“We did show in periods what we can do and that we can compete, but once again we were just making too many unforced errors that cost us,” said Gaskell, who featured 18 times on loan at Salford from St Helens last season.
“They have been creeping in over the last few weeks and we need to cut them out. We want to be putting ourselves on the front foot rather than chasing games, but we seem to score a try and then make an error in the first set of six.
“It did feel good to be out there again, and the knee held up fine. It’s just disappointing that the result didn’t go our way.”
Next up for Gaskell is a taste of his first West Yorkshire derby, when Leeds Rhinos visit the Provident Stadium on Thursday. The 23-year-old is excited about the prospect, and he is looking forward to the atmosphere it will generate.
This game is the start of what will arguably be the Bulls’ toughest period of the season, as the following three matches see them come up against Wigan away, followed by home clashes with Warrington and St Helens.
“We had hoped to go into the Easter period on the back of a good win, but it didn’t happen,” added Gaskell.
“We have a really tough period coming up, so we all have to work hard for each other and knuckle down. We are all confident that we have the squad here to win games, so we’ve just got to concentrate on putting the performances in each week and learning from our mistakes.
“A Bradford v Leeds derby is one of those games everyone wants to be involved with. I watched them growing up, and being part of them was one of the reasons I wanted to come here. It will be a massive game and I can’t wait to play in it.”
