PRE-MATCH INTERVIEW | Corey Johnson | Bradford Bulls (A)

01/05/2025

Corey Johnson says last week’s win against Batley Bulldogs provided a much-needed lift for the team, but now the focus is on turning those positives into consistent performances, starting with this weekend’s trip to Bradford.

Sheffield Eagles will look to build on their Friday night victory over Batley when they travel to Bartercard Odsal Stadium to face a tough Bradford side, who have won their last three Betfred Championship games.

“It’s been a bit of a frustrating period recently for the boys,” Johnson said.

“No one enjoys being in an environment where you’re struggling on the pitch, but it was good to get a few points on the board last week against Batley.

“I think on Friday we really showed what we can do in attack, now it’s about backing that up and starting to build some momentum.”

Bradford come into the fixture on the back of a convincing 12-42 win away at Oldham. Johnson, who has spent time with the Bulls over the last couple of seasons, is expecting a high-intensity contest at Odsal.

“They’ve got a really good squad and set-up this year, and they’re a tight-knit group,” he added.

“They’ll be confident after their result against Oldham, but for us, it’s about focusing on our own performance.

“We need to put together a full eighty-minute display. We can’t afford to just come good in patches.

“I know we played well for forty minutes against them in the cup earlier this season, a game I didn’t play in, but we know we need to replicate that again on Sunday and turn that into an eighty-minute performance.”

As the ninth round of the competition approaches this weekend, Johnson emphasises the importance of focusing on the fundamentals and maintaining unity after a challenging few weeks on the field.

“It’s about getting wins now, and we know that as a group,” he said.

“We’ve got to stick together, build well through the week, and hopefully carry that into Sunday with the confidence we gained from the win against Batley.”