Bradford Bulls tie down key duo including ex-Hull FC man as NRL comparison made

Bradford Bulls have tied down the services of Mitch Souter and former Hull FC man Jayden Okunbor moving into next season. The two men have signed on for next season, committing themselves to the West Yorkshire club until the end of the 2026 campaign.

Okunbor has been with the Bulls a year now, having joined halfway through last season on an initial loan from Hull, where he struggled to find traction. Since then he has scored 17 tries in 32 games for the Bulls and that includes the eight he has touched down for this year.

After such a tricky spell with the Black and Whites, he has more than found his feet in the Championship and he’ll hope to kick on and continue his progression over the 12 next months.

“I am very excited, I knew for a while I wanted to stay for another year and when I spoke to Jason [Hirst] and heard the club wanted to keep me that’s all I wanted to hear,” Okunbor told the Bulls website.

“Everyone from the fans, volunteers, players and coaches have all made me feel really welcome since day one and I feel like I am playing some really good footy. The club has put me in a position where I am loving rugby league again.

“I grew up in Bankstown wanting to play for the [Canterbury] Bulldogs and I see a lot of similarities with the Bulls, the fans are die hard and incredibly passionate. I resonate with that as that was me growing up so for me to be able to give back to the fans and the club means the world to me.”

He added: “Now I have signed I am excited for another whole year with the club, we’re on a journey and we won’t stop till we get to where we want to be.”

Brian Noble on former Hull FC man Jayden Okunbor

Head coach Brian Noble added: “I think it’s a coup for the club as I think he had other options, he is one of our best players every week. First and foremost you have to keep your best players, the fans and the club have played their part in keeping Jayden as you can tell he enjoys his time here.

“He is enjoying his football, he has a smile on his face when he plays, he is very determined and has good leadership qualities. I don’t think he had the best of times at his previous club (Hull FC) and Jayden deciding to stay with us is a good reflection of how much he is enjoying his time with us.”

Souter has been with Bradford since the start of the 2024 season, arriving after a spell with Canberra Raiders’ New South Wales Cup team. He’s made 47 appearances so far with 13 tries coming along the way.

“We all know what Mitch’s talents are,” Noble said on the hooker. “One of the issues he can have is overworking and trying to do everyone else’s job and using his energy up but he is managing himself really well and providing the element of consistency we have been asking for.

“You can see his enjoys his football and players like Mitch and Jayden, you can tell they are finding a home here and it’s on the back of what we’re doing as a club. We are an ambitious club, everyone knows we want to do well this year and Mitch is part of that journey.”

🗣️ INTERVIEW | Hear the thoughts of Jayden Okunbor – fresh after penning a one-year extension with the club!

📺 | Watch in full: https://t.co/SezVklMDW8#StrengthInNumbers pic.twitter.com/5gItq3g3uo

— Bradford Bulls (@OfficialBullsRL) June 11, 2025