The first pre-season friendly ahead of the 2025 campaign has been played and it saw a pair of former St Helens men both score in what was a comfortable win for Bradford Bulls.
In the first game of the second Brian Noble era at Odsal, it was a winning start with relative ease as the Bulls swept aside West Yorkshire rivals Keighley Cougars.
The League One outfit couldn’t handle the Bulls who will be one of the favourites to lift the Championship title in 2025 on account of their strong recruitment – with plenty of those signings on show yesterday.
Brian Noble had confirmed that plenty of the new signings would feature with just a handful of players ruled out, namely the likes of ex-Leeds Rhinos man James Donaldson and former Huddersfield stalwart Michael Lawrence.
Six players would make their debut for the Bulls including star signing from St Helens – Waqa Blake. The Fijian outside back arrived at Saints in 2024 with huge hype but just one season on, he’s in the Championship and he looks set to tear it up.
Ex-St Helens men star in easy Bradford Bulls win
Alongside former St Helens man Waqa Blake, new recruits included London Broncos pair James Meadows and Emmanuel Waine, Ronan Michael, Matty Gee, ex-Leeds youngster Mason Corbett and released Hull FC man Liam Tindall who is on trial with the Bulls.
Tindall and Blake would start in a backline that also featured former Hull FC man Jayden Okunbor and ex-Super League star Jorge Taufua – highlighting the immense strength that Bradford has.
It didn’t take long for them to get in front and it was St Helens’ signing Blake who scored as he collected a James Meadows grubber kick.
Ebon Scurr would add another before the break to make it 10-0 but Bradford only got stronger in the second half. Emmanuel Waine was there to support Taufua and easily score to make it 14-0 before another former St Helens man in Eliot Peposhi crashed over after another Meadows assist.
Young Alfie Leake scored late on to cap his debut with a try as Bradford cemented a comfortable 26-0 win in Brian Noble’s first game in charge.
The Bulls will face stronger opposition in January when they take on Super League opposition – travelling to face Huddersfield Giants on January 18th.
⏲️ FULL-TIME | The first game of the Brian Noble era ends with success in the Joe Phillips Memorial Trophy.#StrengthInNumbers pic.twitter.com/qyIpWGLt76
— Bradford Bulls (@OfficialBullsRL) December 22, 2024
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