Manuokafoa the latest to commit to Bradford

Bradford prop Manase Manuokafoa has signed a new two-year deal to stay at Odsal.

Manuokafoa, 27, played 25 games in his debut season with the Bulls after arriving from Parramatta.

He said: “With Omar Khan having taken over the club, I believe the Bulls can go places and I’m delighted to be a part of things going forward.  We’re a tight-knit group and there are a lot of promising young lads having coming through the ranks such as John Bateman and Elliott Whitehead.

“The core of a very good squad is there and if we can teach the younger lads such as Sam Wood, Curtis Naughton and Oliver Roberts the ways of becoming a professional rugby player then we can grow stronger as a group.

“We’ve got a new-look side, a new coach in Franny Cummins and I’m looking forward to working under him and playing for the Bulls in 2013 and the coming years after that.”

The Tongan international previously played in the NRL for South Sydney and North Queensland, scoring four tries in 89 first grade appearances Down Under.

He made his Bulls debut in the Round 5 game against Warrington, and went on to play every game for the rest of the season.

Head Coach Francis Cummins said: “I wanted to keep Nas at the club because he’s a great man as well as being a very good rugby league player.

“It was a massive gamble by Nas and by us for him to come here last year because the NRL is completely different.  But Nas has proved himself and settled here well with his family. He has made his mark in Super League and I expect him to step up again next season and become one of our leaders.”