Captain-coach Adam Hall is yet to taste success over the Bulls in his fifth year at the club.

After a slow start to the season, Hall is looking for a better defensive effort for the team if they are to come out on top.

“We can only improve, which is a good thing, and hopefully they are a bit complacent,” Hall said.

“We just have to start playing our roles better as individuals and do our part for the team.

“Our defence has got to improve a lot and we are not defending back to back sets at the moment.

“We have worked pretty hard at it this week so hopefully we see a big improvement in that area.”

Despite the favourable record against Kangaroos, Bulls coach Skinner is treading warily ahead of Sunday’s derby.

“You know they’ll (Roos) always be in the contest and it’s hard to get a big score against them,” Skinner said.

“There’s big rivalry between the two teams and it usually keeps things tight.”

In 2015, which was Skinner’s first year as coach, the Bulls took down Roos 28-16 and 22-12 in their two clashes.

This time around, Skinner will be on the sidelines as he recovers from leg surgery, but a return is “not far off”.

“I’m starting to get back into it,” he said.

“I had my first full training session on Tuesday night and I’m looking to play against Brothers (on May 14).”

Significantly, Southcity will also be without gun centre Ethan McGuire and non-stop lock Mitch Curran.

“Ethan’s got fractured ribs and will be out for a while,” Skinner said.

“We were thinking Mitch might have been back this week but he’ll also come back after the bye.

“He’s had a hamstring problem.”

Already 3-0, and one of three joint leaders on the table, Southcity will want to maintain the momentum by beating Roos before having a week off for the bye.

Bruised and battered after a 36-22 win over Young at Alfred Oval last Sunday, Southcity has several players with minor injuries, but Skinner expects them all to play.

Just as he did last weekend, slippery Daniel Jeffries has been named on the bench, but is sure to share the game time with experienced Pani Manwatu.

Skinner admits scoring points has not been a problem for Southcity so far this season.

“We just need to be as consistent in defence,” he said.

Fresh from a scrambling 36-32 success over Brothers on Anzac Day, Roos will need to improve markedly to even give the Bulls a fright.