Odsal is where the heart is for Bradford

Bradford Bulls return this afternoon to the environment that has played a major part in making them one of the success stories of Super League.

After two seasons in exile on the other side of the city at Valley Parade, they are back at Odsal – not the completely rebuilt Odsal that was once promised, but a tidied-up, refurbished version, where the club promises it will recapture the particular atmosphere of a Bulls' match-day. Nobody has presented a match better than Bradford and Valley Parade was never big enough for the way they like to do it.

Brian Noble, who spent most of his career at Odsal as player and coach, has been looking forward to today's match against Wakefield, which marks the homecoming. "The place is coming alive," he said. "I think we'd all forgotten what a fantastic venue it was. It had a tremendous atmosphere and it was the driving force behind the marketing of Super League."

Noble also knows just how grim Odsal can get. "I've seen it frozen and fog-bound on a January afternoon and I know what an inhospitable place it can be," he said. He wants other teams to dread coming there, not because of its hostile micro-climate but because of the support the Bulls are expecting to generate.

Crowds have slipped during the two years as tenants of Bradford City. With Hull setting the benchmark at their new stadium, the Bulls hope to bring back the missing thousands, starting with today's pre-match entertainment from the local-lad-made-good, Gareth Gates, and continuing with the ritual trampling of Wakefield.

Trinity, stronger and better organised than they were last season, might have different ideas, but it is hard to imagine them spoiling the party.

Noble, with James Lowes fit again but Robbie Paul a 50-50 proposition, is definitely without Jamie Peacock with a broken arm, but has young players like Lee Radford and Rob Parker waiting impatiently for their chance on one of the club's big days.