(Image: Bradford Bulls)
BULLS legend Amy Hardcastle wants to get the women’s team back on track in the long term.
In an in-depth interview with the T&A, the new head coach talked about the setbacks that derailed the first team last season, how dropping down a division should benefit them and the balance she must strike between leading Bradford while still playing for St Helens.
Speaking to us ahead of one of the women’s team trials over the off-season, the former England international laughed: “People think I've actually retired.
“But I was head coach at Halifax a couple of years ago, so how I managed that was training being on different nights.
“The games sometimes didn't fall perfectly, but I had really good support staff.
“It’s the same here at the Bulls, so Charlie Hall, who stepped in as head coach partway through last season, he's going to stay as my assistant.
“Even though I’m in charge, I've made it very clear that Charlie is one of our top coaches.
“We’ve managed to work the training around my St Helens commitments and when we see the fixtures, we'll be able to work around that as well.
“The thing is, you make it work if you want to.
“The Bulls are very supportive and we've got girls wanting to stay and some very bought-in athletes, so it’s exciting that they're supporting this transition as well.”
Amy Hardcastle scored 30 tries in her 29-game England career, but she has a little more free time on her hands having retired from international rugby league earlier this year. (Image: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)
That transition also includes Bulls dropping down from the Women’s Championship to League One, with Hardcastle saying: “There were lot of things that shook the girls up last season, like a change in coaching staff partway through the year, injuries and deflating big losses.
“That probably caused some distractions, where the girls couldn't focus on what they needed to and maybe emotions got in the way.
“But one thing that stood out to me is that they didn't give up regardless, knowing that they were potentially going into a game that was going to be tough.
“We’ve got a recharge year because we're stepping down with the league structure changing and finishing where we did.
“For us, that’s probably best because we are going to recruit new girls that have come through an academy.
“We need to start afresh and I think being in League One is where we can do that.
“Staying in the Championship, there would have been so much pressure of having to hit so many targets, instead of just stripping it all back.
“We need to build more resilience within our team because it's sport, so we're going to have good games and we're going to have tough games.
“That's something that's going to be definitely instilled into the girls this year.”
Amy Hardcastle (centre) tries to break through the Wigan defence at Wembley in St Helens' Challenge Cup final defeat there in May. (Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
Hardcastle, who won the treble with Bulls in 2017, returned to the club in January, but that was in more of an advisory role to the head of women’s rugby, Rebecca Ball-Knight.
She will be far more hands on now as head coach, starting with these ongoing trials.
Hardcastle said: “They’ve been really positive.
“There are a few girls I've known for a few years from when they were a lot younger, so to see them come into these trials now is very exciting.
“It’s a bit of a building year again but I think everybody builds, as even in Super League, you're always looking for players.
“Players are always looking for a change and for me, it's about creating that environment at Bulls now.
“It’s passing on stuff that I've learned along the way and what I know about a healthy environment that makes girls shine, so they can play their best and be the best that they can be.”
Amy Hardcastle is tackled by Leeds duo Lois Forcell and Caitlin Beevers during a game at Odsal in 2018, back when Bulls Women were Super League heavyweights. (Image: Anna Gowthorpe/SWpix.com)
When Hardcastle was appointed by Bulls last week, she spoke about the girls’ pathway at the club.
And ultimately, her vision for the women’s section at Bradford is a long-term one.
Asked what that arm of the club might look like in 2027 and beyond, she said: “There will hopefully be some element of an Under-19s side through the Bulls Foundation where we can feed them into our first team.
“But we're continually building relationships with clubs and we've just got to work on that.
“We've got to create an environment where people want to come and play for Bradford and they want to buy into what our systems are going to be moving forward.”