Ryan Sutton is gearing up for a special return this weekend as Bradford Bulls travel to face his hometown club and former team, Wigan Warriors, in Round 4 of the Betfred Challenge Cup.
A Wigan lad through and through, Sutton knows exactly what it takes to succeed at the highest level. He tasted Grand Final glory with the Warriors in 2018 and now brings that vital experience and leadership to Bradford, where he serves as vice-captain.
“I think before the season started; I had a few people speak to me about where we’d see the Bradford Bulls this year. I generally said before the season started that we'd surprise a few and I think we're doing that already,” said Sutton.
The Bulls are currently two wins from four in the Betfred Super League and have already made an impactful impression across the board.
“We put on a real formidable performance against St Helens last Saturday and some say we should have won that game,” Sutton added.
“We’ve had a pretty positive start to the season but it's only the early rounds. We're firing and looking to improve week on week moving forward. The attention to detail that we go through in training is a big one, and the expansive play we like to play is really starting to show."
Bullmania has returned with a bang in 2026. Whilst Bartercard Odsal has been drawing in huge crowds, Bradford fans have also been travelling in their numbers on the road, and Sutton has been thrilled by the support:
“It’s been unreal. I really did not expect to get 10,000 people in the first home game of the year. It’s a statement to Super League! We got 10,000 fans against Catalans [Dragons] and another 8,500 against Toulouse [Olympique] with no away fans.
"It’s credit to the area and it just shows that the Bradford Bulls are a team to be in the Super League and that the city wants to get around the Bulls and see success in the future.”
Sutton has certainly found his feet with the West Yorkshire side:
“I'm really enjoying it. Getting to the back end of my career, I wanted to be in a leadership role. I feel like I’ve got a lot of experience to give, not just to the young boys but to players that are hungry and wanting to improve.”
The Friday Night Lights are calling, and this weekend’s cup tie against the Warriors provides extra motivation for Sutton.
Wigan, record holders of the Challenge Cup with 21 titles - most recently in 2024 - remain one of the sport’s most dominant forces, and Sutton is aware of the challenge that lies ahead, having played at the club for five seasons.
“I'm really excited for it. I've got a lot of history with Wigan, a lot of good wins and a lot of friends still at the club.
“It’s an exciting time but at the same time I’ve got it in the back of my head that I’m going there for a job. I’m going there to perform well with the Bulls and we’re going there to try and win. That’s the exciting thing - I think it’s going to be a good game.
“Wigan are probably the strongest team in the competition and we're looking to go there and put on a performance and show what we can do against the pinnacle of the sport at the minute.”
Wigan and Bradford’s clashes are rich in history across both league and cup competitions, with fireworks fully expected at The Brick Community Stadium on Friday.
The sides have met a total of 20 times in the Challenge Cup, including two finals dating back to 1944 and 1948.
Prop Sutton has played at the famous Wembley Stadium before, albeit in defeat in the 2017 Challenge Cup Final with Wigan, but knows what it means to get there:
“It was a very exciting game to play in. I think you look at Wembley and the teams that have played there, not just in the rugby league but all over the world like football and rugby union, and it's just an unreal stadium.
“Just being the oldest competition in rugby league, is definitely something that is exciting to be a part of.
“I think if you look at the previous winners and teams that have won it in the past, it's definitely an underdog competition for me."
There have been eight different winners in the last nine years - could a revived Bulls outfit be in the running to become the ninth in ten?
Bradford have lifted the prestigious Challenge Cup trophy on five occasions, most recently at Murrayfield in their treble-winning season of 2003. They haven't appeared at Wembley since 1997 though, but their current playing group are chasing down the chance to change this.
“As a team, we’re looking forward to the run out against Wigan, and I definitely am as an individual. Obviously, they're missing a few notable players for this tie, but they're still a formidable outfit.
“We’re missing a few too. And I can guarantee you anyone who they [Wigan] put into that squad will fill a role and know exactly what to do. We've got two hungry sides that are playing really well who are going to go into the Challenge Cup Fourth Round and want to put a performance on for their own supporters.
“In Bradford’s squad, we've got some players that have won finals before, and we've got some players that have fallen just short. We spoke about it before we played against London Broncos in the previous round about how special this cup is and how the end goal is to play at Wembley in front of so many people.
“If we got there, with our fans at the minute, I can guarantee you we'd set a record.
“I'm really looking forward to it. We’re going to put our best foot forward, which we’ve done already and we’re only just starting. We want to win as much as we can.
“We're definitely not coming into this game and into this competition just to compete.”
A breath of fresh air has been instilled into the Bradford club on their return to the big time. But can the Bulls bring success back to the club in 2026? The mission continues on Friday (K.O. 8pm).
It's Betfred Challenge Cup Finals Day at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 30 May 2026. Book your tickets here today and enjoy our early bird prices!
