A tough 2021 season saw the Bulls battle to the play-offs, where they eventually came unstuck in an eliminator against Batley Bulldogs. It was an underwhelming conclusion to the year no doubt, but there were plenty of positives for the West Yorkshire outfit to build on ahead of 2022.
The breakthrough of youngsters during 2021 was a huge plus for the club - there were a number of debuts which suggested the future is bright, but the continued improvement of academy graduate Ebon Scurr stood out - the 21-year-old signed a new deal until 2023 back in November on the back of a season which had earned him a nomination for Betfred Championship Young Player of the Year, and he'll hope to play a pivotal role in the Bulls' push for promotion.
It will be Head Coach John Kear's fifth season in charge of Bradford, and some hard-fought pre-season encounters will have given the experienced boss a lot to be positive about ahead of Sunday's season opener. It was an intense start to pre-season for Kear and his men, the Bulls hosted Batley and a sharply contested encounter saw the Bulldogs run out 22-28 winners.
Bradford would soon be able to rectify things with the visit of Hull FC for Danny Brough's testimonial. It was a day dedicated to a Rugby League legend, but the home side managed to get their first win of pre-season after a scintillating 42-18 victory against a young Hull team.
A test against long-standing rivals Leeds Rhinos was next, and over 7,000 people watched as a close battle gave the Bulls one last run out before the season got underway. The Rhinos showed their class and won the game 12-30, but Bradford made it difficult for the Super League side and were leading at half-time - there was plenty to be happy about as a Bulls fan in this fixture and throughout pre-season, and the addition of some new faces has given the club every reason to feel optimistic.
Transfers in:
- Ryan Millar (Sheffield Eagles)
- Elliot Hall (Batley Bulldogs)
- Samy Kibula (Warrington Wolves)
- Dec Patton (Salford Red Devils)
- Jordan Baldwinson (York City Knights)
- Kieran Gill (Newcastle Thunder)
- Eldon Myers
- Sam Scott (York City Knights)
- Charlie Harris (Castleford Tigers)
Jarrod O’Connor, Corey Johnson & Muizz Mustapha will join the club on loan from Leeds Rhinos in time for the start of the new league season.
Transfers out:
- Brandon Pickersgill (Featherstone Rovers)
- Brad Gallagher (Newcastle Thunder)
- Joe Brown (York City Knights)
- Levy Nzoungou (Widnes Vikings)
- Danny Brough (Retired)
- Ross Oakes (Sheffield Eagles)
- Sam Hallas (Newcastle Thunder)
- Jack Sanderson (Doncaster)
One to Watch
The Bulls lost the iconic Danny Brough to retirement in the off season and could hardly have found a more ideal replacement in Dec Patton, who is set to partner Jordan Lilley in the halves.
Patton makes his first permanent switch from outside Super League in 2022 and has shown signs of his class in pre-season having made the move from Salford.
The 26-year-old goalkicking halfback has made over 100 appearances in Super League since making his debut for Warrington in 2015. He was also part of the Warrington side which won the Challenge Cup in 2019. Could he add more silverware with Bradford in 2022?
2022 FULL SQUAD:
Elliot Kear, Matty Dawson-Jones, Rhys Evans, Kieran Gill, Ryan Millar, Dec Patton, Jordan Lilley, Ant Walker, Thomas Doyle, Steve Crossley, Aaron Murphy, Sam Scott, Ben Evans, George Flanagan, Jordan Baldwinson, Ebon Scurr, Brad England, Samy Kibula, David Foggin-Johnston, Billy Jowitt, Elliot Hall, Joe Burton, Bradley Ho, AJ Wallace, Eldon Myers, Dan Fleming
The Bulls' 2022 season gets underway on Sunday 30th January away to Dewsbury Rams, 15:00 kick-off.
