Bradford Bulls recruitment update as Kurt Haggerty offers hint on transfer plans

Bradford Bulls coach Kurt Haggerty has suggested the club’s wholesale recruitment ahead of their return to Super League may well be drawing to a close.

The Bulls have been one of the most active clubs in the top flight after their promotion back to Super League was confirmed at the end of last season. They have signed a staggering 16 players thus far and will field an entirely new-look side when they face Hull FC next month in their first competitive match of 2026.

Before that, the Bulls play their first pre-season fixtures this weekend when they face Dewsbury and Doncaster on Saturday and Sunday, with a plethora of those new signings set to get a run-out in one of those fixtures.

And Haggerty admitted that as far as he is concerned, their transfer business is done for now: but it could change again before the season gets under way.

When asked if there was the prospect of more new signings earlier this week, Haggerty said: “Not right now, I wouldn’t say so.

“I’m not saying that could change and hopefully it could change, but we’re pretty steady at the moment and I’m happy with the squad that we’ll be taking into Round One.”

Most of the Bulls’ new signings will feature in one of the two games this weekend. The exceptions are Joe Mellor and Loghan Lewis, who are carrying knocks that Haggerty insists will not prevent them from being ready for the opening round of the Super League season.

But the Bradford coach said that everyone who is fit and available will get some minutes at the weekend with a strong first-team contingent featuring at Doncaster.

He said of Sunday’s game: “We’re looking to use around 22 to 24 players. We’ll start strong; there’s some boys who we need to see but I’m hoping we can get 30 to 40 minutes game-time into every player. Most of the new lads will play barring anyone who is carrying a bit of a knock.”