Bradford Bulls are preparing for their first season in Super League since 2014, and after such a long time away, the club are ready to make their return a permanent one.
The Bulls have had a tough time since their fall from the top flight, entering administration in 2017 before being re-birthed, though they kept the same identity as the one that is one of the most iconic in the sport’s history.
After back-to-back third place Championship finishes, the club earned their promotion to the top flight by finishing 10th in the IMG rankings, putting them in Super League automatically.
Since that decision was announced in October, it has been all systems go in order to create a squad, environment and a club ready for the big time once again.
Bradford Bulls 2026 season preview
2026 squad:1. Caleb Aekins, 2. Jayden Okunbor, 3. Esan Marsters, 4. Waqa Blake, 5. Ethan Ryan, 6. Jayden Nikorima, 7. Rowan Milnes, 8. Ryan Sutton, 9. Andy Ackers, 10. Loghan Lewis, 11. Dan Russell, 12. Zac Fulton, 13. Joe Mellor, 14. Mitch Souter, 15. Eribe Doro, 16. Ebon Scurr, 17. Ed Chamberlain, 18. Joe Keyes, 19. Will Gardiner, 20. Brandon Douglas, 21. Sam Hallas, 22. Luke Hooley, 23. Connor Wynne, 24. Guy Armitage, 25. Eliot Peposhi, 26. Ronan Michael, 27. Alfie Leake, 28. Jamie Gill, 29. Cameron Bate, 30. Leon Ruan.
Incomings: Andy Ackers (Leeds Rhinos), Caleb Aekins (Featherstone Rovers), Ed Chamberlain (Hull FC – loan), Eribe Doro (Hull KR), Brandon Douglas (Halifax Panthers), Will Gardiner (Hull FC), Loghan Lewis (Salford Red Devils), Esan Marsters (Salford Red Devils), Joe Mellor (Salford Red Devils), Rowan Milnes (Hull KR), Jayden Nikorima (Salford Red Devils), Leon Ruan (Hull KR – loan), Dan Russell (Warrington Wolves), Ethan Ryan (Oldham), Ryan Sutton (Gold Coast Titans), Connor Wynne (Featherstone Rovers)
Outgoings: Sam Ackroyd (TBC), Jacob Bateman (Dewsbury Rams – loan), Logan Bayliss-Brow (Gold Coast Titans), James Donaldson (Retirement), Matty Gee (Retirement), Kieran Gill (Sheffield Eagles), Chris Hill (Retirement), Tom Holmes (Doncaster), Michael Lawrence (Retirement), Jordan Lilley (Sheffield Eagles), Bayley Liu (Halifax Panthers), Nathan Mason (Retirement), James Meadows (London Broncos), Zane Musgrove (TBC), Tyran Ott (Ipswich Jets), Jorge Taufua (Uncontracted/Rugby Union), Emmanuel Waine (Oldham)
The squad has seen a huge upheaval, as the Odsal outfit transition from a part-time to a full-time environment. However, their most important signing could be their head coach. Kurt Haggerty.
The former Salford assistant has joined the club on a three-year deal, and has brought a heap of players along with him. The likes of Jayden Nikorima, Esan Marsters and Loghan Lewis have all joined from the Red Devils, and Andy Ackers, Ed Chamberlain and Rowan Milnes all have experience of the boss in the past, so the settling in period will be made a lot easier for that reason.
Whilst it is his first senior head coach role, and that could show at times through the campaign, the boss has already set realistic expectations for his side this year, and he knows it will be a struggle given their lack of time to prepare.
Bradford Bulls Squad Overview
Key players:
Ethan Ryan – Returning to the Bulls for the first time since 2019, Ryan is a prolific try-scorer, and will be a force on the left wing for the Bulls this season. He has already shown his class after picking up two tries in the club’s pre-season game against Leeds Rhinos, and he will hope to continue that form going forward.
Ryan Sutton – If the prop can keep injury free, Bradford have picked up a great coup, and one that brings experience in Super League and quality strength. You can count on one hand his number of appearances in the past few seasons, but on his day Sutton can be an elite-level prop, and he showed that during his time in the NRL.
Mitch Souter – The hooker was part of the Championship squad in 2025, and is a livewire from dummy half. With the rucks set to be faster that last season, expect him to scamper from the ruck and make metres for his side.
Potential problems:
The loose forward position is one spot that the Bulls are lacking in, and whilst they have bodies suited to that position, questions will be raised over whether they are good enough at this level. Sam Hallas and Joe Mellor will be utilised there, but Hallas has never played Super League and Mellor has rarely played 13, so it is a big risk for those two.
Whilst Bradford will have the physicality to match most Super League sides, whether they can keep it up for 80 minutes is a different question. They will no doubt adapt as the season progresses, but after being in the Championship, as division that is a slower pace, they will need to match their top flight counterparts and quickly, else they could find themselves falling away from games in the final 10-15 minutes.
Overall verdict:
Any realist will know that Bradford’s battle isn’t with the majority of the division. Their focus will be on finishing above the two other promoted sides, for this first season at least.
From then, they can build and start to climb, but this season will merely be a consolidation campaign as they find their feet back in Super League.
Of course, the Bulls will enter every game with the feeling they can win, and will do all they can to achieve that, but on the whole their goal will be to secure that 12th spot, and if they better that it will be a huge achievement.
What the bookies think:
Labelled at a huge 200/1 to win the Grand Final, their odds hugely improve when it comes to reaching the finals, though they are still amongst the least likely.
The Bulls are priced at 10/1, joint with York Knights, to make the top six, a feat unlikely but not impossible.
Something Bradford are the favourite for is to finish bottom, something they will obviously want to avoid. Both them and Toulouse Olympique are priced at 9/4 to finish 14th in the league this campaign.
*Odds taken from Betfred and are correct at time of writing.
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