Bradford’s big transfer issue clear as ‘Haggertyball’ shines in Leeds Rhinos defeat

Leeds Rhinos remain two points clear at the top of Super League after picking up an impressive and comfortable win over Bradford Bulls on Sunday afternoon.

It wasn’t faultless from Leeds – far from it – but they had enough quality to ensure they maintained their buffer over both Wigan Warriors and Wakefield Trinity after their wins earlier in Rivals Round.

Here’s what we learned – with a lot of the talking points actually coming from the visitors..

Leeds sloppy – but more than good enough

It was far from vintage for the Rhinos. They were a little bit loose over the course of the afternoon; whether that was due to the fact they were playing a side at the bottom of Super League, only they will know.

But you would imagine they would have to be a bit more crisp in a big game at the end of the season. Too often, the Rhinos played off the cuff when it really wasn’t needed – something they will learn from, you can imagine, given how Brad Arthur operates.

But they were good enough to see off the Bulls with relative ease thanks to one man: Jake Connor.

He was at his brilliant best and has the game in the palm of his hand on occasions. He tortured Bradford in the second half, with the Rhinos thankful for their talismanic half dragging them through some tough moments.

Was ‘Rowleyball’ actually ‘Haggertyball’?

This wasn’t to be for Bradford in terms of the result once again – but like they have all year, they played with a freedom and style that has made them one of the more enjoyable teams to watch in 2026.

If you were to rank all Super League teams on how enjoyable they are to watch, Bradford would be somewhere near the top.

And for all the talk of ‘Rowleyball’ failing to emerge at St Helens, it’s interesting that his long-time assistant coach is the one producing a brand of rugby that’s not too dissimilar to what we saw when Salford were at their best.

Perhaps, after all, it’s Haggertyball we need to be discussing!

Bradford’s big issue emerges again

The Bulls competed hard for 80 minutes and their effort certainly can’t be faulted – but this display once again showed again why they are struggling to hang with the best teams in the competition.

Bradford’s starting unit almost always manages to get them into a grind against most teams. But when they rotate and are bringing the bench into play, things slip. Of course, injuries don’t help – with more here to worry about and some key forwards out of the side with problems.

However, it’s obvious that the Bulls have to prioritise strengthening the depth in their pack more than anywhere else going into 2027. They have the ingredients to test teams: they’re just a bit short of quality at present.

It’s totally understandable, by the way – they’re in year one of being a full-time operation. These transitions do not happen overnight; players take time to adjust, and recruitment cycles can’t be rushed.