Why Bradford Bulls are on the rise and will climb Super League’s ranks

Bullmania is back, and Super League is better for it.

Good Friday saw the rivalry between Bradford Bulls and Leeds Rhinos reignited and with it, one of Super League’s marquee fixtures.

It was the Rhinos who came away with the win in front of almost 15,000 supporters and speaking to players from both clubs in the aftermath, they have said it’s up there as one of the best atmospheres they have played in.

Nobody is pretending that Odsal is pristine. In fact, the reality is much different. It is a run down ampitheatre that may well be dilapidated at this point. There are plenty of issues, from the obvious to the more obscure. Anyone there on Friday will tell you have difficult it was to get food or drink due to ridiculously lengthy queues.

But by the same token, the Bulls have made of it what they can, and the fans are turning up in their numbers. Average crowds are in excess of 10,000 so far.

On the field, they have held their own. There remain questions over how they will manage the rigours of a full season, but they have been competitive and exceeded the expectations of most.

You back them to continue improving too. They have the finances to compete on the recruitment front and it’s a club that has pull power.

It won’t happen overnight and there will be bumps in the road along the way. There are still plenty of improvements for them to make on and off the pitch.

But Friday proved beyond all doubt that the Bulls are a club on the up.