Bradford confirm Purtell exit

Bradford have confirmed the departure of club captain Adrian Purtell to London at the end of the year.

The centre arrived at Bradford in 2012 after moving from Australia and the NRL, where he featured for Canberra Raiders and Penrith Panthers.

He scored over 30 tries in his first four seasons, before injury hampered his 2016 campaign where he was made club captain.

The Aussie will join London Broncos at the end of the season and take up a player-coaching role in the capital. 

“I didn’t really know what to expect until I moved over here in 2012 and that seems so far away now,” Purtell said.

“A lot has happened in those five years and I’ll forever be grateful to Bradford for giving me the opportunity to come over here.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute over here. The boys in every squad I’ve played in have been great, I’ve enjoyed working under every coach and the fans have been immense for the whole time.

“The club helped me through a tough period after my heart attack and the fans were an enormous help and, like I said, I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity I’ve had.

“I’m coming towards the back end of my career and every player would love to play on forever, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work out like that.

“So I’ve got an opportunity to still play rugby at a high level and also coach, as I’ll be working under Jamie Langley with the Academy squad.

“It allows me to dip my toe in the water and see if it’s something I enjoy, and I look forward to making a good go of it.”