Bradford Bulls head coach Kurt Haggerty has offered an update on the club’s recruitment stance and salary cap situation, whilst also speaking about the challenge one of the club’s three recruits from Hull KR faces.
Since having their promotion to Super League confirmed back in October, no club have recruited more aggressively than Bradford with the Bulls and fellow promoted side York Knights both signing 16 players, though Kurt Haggerty’s side have arguably landed themselves more quality.
That’s no doubt been helped by the fact that Bradford have been afforded the full central funding from the RFL due to their IMG grading, whereas York and Toulouse only receive half of that after earning promotion via application.
A host of former Salford Red Devils players have arrived as well as three from Hull KR and even NRL man Ryan Sutton but Kurt Haggerty has now confirmed that the club still have some salary cap space left, adding that the club would be primed to strike if they felt it necessary.
Bradford Bulls boss talks squad and salary cap
Speaking to Serious About Rugby League ahead of his side’s second and final game of the pre-season, Haggerty explained that whilst Bradford are ‘pretty settled’ on the squad they’ve assembled, there could still be additions.
He said: “We’re always looking but we’re pretty settled on our squad but there is room for movement and we’re always willing to strike.”
In respect to what sort of players the Bulls could look for, Haggerty explained that he doesn’t deem any position group shorter in depth than another and that as yet, there is ‘nothing specific’ the club plan to use their remaining salary on.
“We’re pretty happy with the squad,” he responded, adding: “We know we’ve got a lot of work to do, we’ve got a journey to go on, but also there’s nothing specific we’re looking at.
“Ultimately I’d like to give the lads over here a shot and then we go from there.”
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Hull KR recruit challenged to break into Bulls XIII
As referenced, the squad that the Bulls currently have does have 16 new signings in with ten boasting starting XII numbers and twelve inside the top 17 but one man who doesn’t currently have a starting shirt is Hull KR recruit Leon Ruan.
Ruan was the latest signing made by Bradford, joining on an initial loan deal which will be made permanent in 2027, and Haggerty has spoken about his expectations of the 22-year-old, who has just 20 Super League appearances to his name.
“I think that’s down to Leon,” Haggerty responded when asked if there’s a genuine feeling that the back-rower can break into Bradford’s starting XIII.
“Ultimately, he’s coming to an environment where it’s slightly different to Hull KR, we’re not an established Super League team.
“There are parts of the Leon game that I like and there are parts that I think he needs to add to, but ultimately that will go over to Leon about how he applies himself to break into our 17.”
Ruan has been named in Haggerty’s 20-man squad for this weekend’s clash with Leeds Rhinos where he will try and stake a claim to land a larger role throughout the season.
👥 SQUAD | Bradford Bulls head coach Kurt Haggerty, sponsored by Sandy & Richard Monro, has named a 20-Man Squad to face Leeds Rhinos at AMT Headingley on Saturday 24th January (1:00pm).
📖 | https://t.co/R37Ps1EHgz#RunWithTheBulls | @ASNDoors pic.twitter.com/yDcI4bwmbY
— Bradford Bulls (@OfficialBullsRL) January 22, 2026
