London-Bradford talking points as Bulls avoid Challenge Cup upset and key man emerges

Bradford Bulls avoided what many considered to be a big Challenge Cup upset at the hands of Championship heavyweights London Broncos to progress to the Fourth Round of the competition.

Kurt Haggerty’s side trailed 8-4 at half-time in the capital and it seemed as though they would be the only Super League side to exit at the first hurdle of the competition.

However, the Bulls were much the stronger of the two sides after the break, with tries from the likes of Ethan Ryan and Waqa Blake getting them into the last 16 courtesy of a 26-8 win. Here’s everything we learned..

London run out of gas

The Broncos were well in the game for a good hour, and were good value for their 8-4 half-time lead. But in truth, they struggled to keep up as the second half wore on.

They weren’t helped by injuries to the likes of Alex Max, with London light on interchanges in the final quarter – and Bradford took full advantage superbly. The withdrawal of Dean Hawkins was a huge loss for Jason Demetriou’s side; without him, the hosts completely lost their shape and direction.

Bradford will be hugely entertaining in 2026..

..if you are a neutral. If you’re a Bulls fan, it might be slightly more frustrating at times.

It’s to be expected that having recruited a new squad after securing promotion so late in the day, this might not be the finished article in terms of Bradford’s squad.

But they will be fun to watch under Kurt Haggerty, without question – at both ends of the field. Defensively, they do look slightly suspect and you wonder if the better teams in Super League might be able to pick them off. But going forward, they do not die wondering and love to play eyes up, high-risk rugby.

That’ll make for great fun if you’re watching as a neutral. Less so if you’re interested in the Bulls’ results!

Ebon Scurr will be a Super League star

Bradford’s academy continues to churn out top-end talent – and this one is a player who has been on the radar of Super League clubs before.

The Bulls have managed to hold off interest in Ebon Scurr in the past with the full belief he could make the journey to the top flight with them, and he will have a big, big year in 2026 without question. This was a fantastic showing against some real strong opposition, with the young forward underlining he’ll have a key role to play this season.

Bradford’s key man is..

Joe Mellor. It may sound left-field but the former Widnes Vikings and Salford Red Devils man was absolutely superb here, and key to everything the Bulls did well with ball in hand.

Mellor being handed the 13 shirt has seemed a strange move on the face of it but he will gave Bradford’s attack another dimension in the pack. If he stays fit, the Bulls have a chance in games in 2026.