Bradford Bulls recruit Waqa Blake has high hopes of being a part of what he hopes will be an historic season for the club. Blake joined Bradford on a two-year deal last month after being released by Super League side St Helens.
The Fiji international struggled for form and traction at the Totally Wicked Stadium but still managed to score 11 tries in 24 appearances for the club. As such, he has something of a point to prove in the Championship with Bradford as he bids to get back to his best and put his best foot forward.
The 30-year-old joins a side who are heavily fancied for success in the Championship next year and a return to Super League for the first time since 2014 is very much on the agenda for the Bulls. Including Blake, Brian Noble’s side have made some impressive signings such as James Donaldson, Guy Armitage and James Meadows, while the club are committed to doing all they can to secure a Grade A score in IMG’s next round of grading.
Blake shares Bradford’s vision of playing in the top flight once more and the chance to be a part of their journey was one of the main reasons why the Bulls stood out to him.
“It’s a club with a lot of history,” Blake told the Bradford Bulls website. “In the last couple of years they’ve been working their way up with two third placed finishes and now with the squad we’ve got, we won’t look too far ahead but things are looking good, everyone’s been training well so I am pretty keen to be a part of history.
“From my first day I noticed a lot of the younger players in the squad and there’s a lot of boys here who work and come into training and put their effort in. Everyone is fit and firing and I think we’ll be a real danger in the competition this year. I just want to put my bit into it and hopefully we can come away and be a part of history.”
On his 2025 goal, he added: “I want to stay injury free and be consistent but not just that. I think we all have that one goal. We want to go to Super League.”
Blake’s confidence was low towards the end of last season and with St Helens struggling for consistency, the outside back lost his place in the line-up. As such, he makes the switch to Odsal in the hope that he can leave what was a tough year at St Helens behind him.
“I am coming here looking to put a smile on my face and enjoy my footy again,” Blake added. “I would never lose the love for rugby league, it was a difficult year and I’ve been through difficult times before but it’s just about the way you act from it.
“I was lucky enough to go represent my country and as soon as I did that, I had a smile on my face and I was able to enjoy having a good environment around me. I want to be able to put my best foot forward and enjoy the year. I want to become one of the best centres in the Championship and doing my job will help everyone else.”
