The list which proves Bradford’s value to Super League ahead of latest debut

Aaron Bower 31 Jul 2026 5:00 AM

Jake Trueman, Oliver Wilson and George Flanagan all came through the Bradford Bulls academy.

Bradford Bulls will hand out yet another debut to an academy graduate on Friday – with young forward Alfie Leake set to make his first-team debut against Hull KR.

The Bulls have remained committed to developing talent even long after their relegation from Super League in 2014, and their financial demise which followed just a few years later.

In the decade or so which has followed since the Bulls initially left Super League, they have handed out over 30 debuts to players from their academy setup. In fact, Leake will be the 36th on this list in that period of time.

Obviously, those 35 players who have gone before Leake have had mixed success in the sport. Some only had fleeting careers in the professional game, others are now playing regularly in the Championship while some are at the top end of Super League.

And yes, of course there are other clubs who are contributing similar amounts – if not more – to rugby league’s player pool. But the Bulls’ commitment to keeping their production line open while they were part-time, at a time when other Super League clubs did not have the intent to even run an academy of any repute, remains a point well worth crediting.

Here are some of the highlights from the Odsal production line in recent years – with Bradford hopeful that Leake can become the next breakout star.

Jake Trueman

Arguably the jewel in the Bradford academy crown post the likes of the Burgess brothers, Trueman was earmarked for big things in the game ever since breaking onto the scene at one of Bradford’s leading amateur clubs, West Bowling.

Before he had even made his Bulls debut as a 17-year-old, Trueman had Super League clubs queuing around the block to sign him. Castleford won that race in 2017 and he has gone on to play for Hull FC and Wakefield Trinity – the latter of whom he is now starring for under Daryl Powell.

An England international of the future without doubt, Trueman is one that Bradford should rightly be proud of.

James Bentley

While he’s having a more difficult season with Warrington this year, there can be no doubting that Bentley is another who has stood out after coming through Bradford’s academy.

He was an integral part of the St Helens squad that won four league titles in a row, and played his part for Leeds Rhinos too before making the switch to the Wire.

Matty Storton

Like Trueman, a product of West Bowling – and like Trueman, starring for Wakefield Trinity in 2026. Storton made almost 30 Championship appearances for Bradford before being plucked by Hull KR. His career has gone on a firmly upward trajectory then, with Storton an integral part of the Wakey side enjoying success this year.

Oliver Wilson

We’ve not seen Wilson this year sadly due to a serious injury picked up not long after joining Wigan on a four-year deal: but that alone speaks volumes as to the talent and potential the one-time England international has. Wilson moved to Huddersfield as a youngster but didn’t go through their academy set-up; he was a graduate at Odsal.

George Flanagan

Supremely talented and one of Super League’s real breakout stars, Bulls fans may hope that one day they are able to see George Flanagan back in Bradford colours after he left to join Huddersfield long before the club returned to Super League.

Here is the full list of those aforementioned academy graduates, all of whom played for Bradford’s first-team at least once since they were relegated from Super League in 2014.

NB. The list also does not include academy graduates who never made a first-team appearance for the club before leaving – which includes Cameron Scott, who ironically will return to Odsal in 2027.