10 hrs

Getting to know: Bradford Bulls

Like the two clubs promoted with them, Bradford Bulls have been one of the league surprises so far in 2026 and they look to provide another shock on Friday night against the Rhinos.

Currently sixth in the table and coming off the back of a loss to Castleford Tigers last time out, the Bulls are out to build consistency heading towards the halfway mark of the season - a point where seasons can be defined or broken.

Here's a look closer look at the Bulls:

Key Playmakers

Andy Ackers

Club Apps: 8 | Club Tries: 3

Former Leeds man Ackers has hit the ground running at Bradford, rediscovering the form that earned him international recognition in 2022.

The former London, Toronto and Salford player is currently the top hooker for dummy half runs in the league this season, plus he ranks third amongst the league's number nines for carries, metres and tackles made - quite the feat inside of six league games for his new club. He also has two tries to his name against Catalans and St Helens as the Bulls sit inside the top six heading into the Easter weekend.

Waqa Blake

Club Apps: 37 | Club Tries: 19

Despite leaving St Helens under a cloud, Fijian international Blake has been a key threat for the Bulls as part of a double edge combination with Esan Marsters on the opposite wing.

The former Penrith and Parramatta outside back accumulated 165 games in the NRL and 62 tries before joining St Helens in 2024 - a spell that lasted 24 games. Quickly moving on after not being offered a new deal for 2025, Blake landed at a Bulls side preparing to make the step up to Super League and paid the club back for it's faith as he scored 14 tries in 31 games as the club reached the Championship semi finals. That try scoring form has continued in 2026 as only Ethan Ryan has more tries than Blake in all competitions, plus he is a leading Bulls player for offloads and tackle breaks.

Esan Marsters

Club Apps: 8 | Club Tries: 2

Joining Blake in those attacking metrics is Marsters - one of the players brought into the Bulls after Salford's collapse at the end of 2025.

Moving over the Pennines with Ryan, Jayden Nikorima, Loghan Lewis and Joe Mellor, Marsters has got better with each season he has been in the UK after signing for Huddersfield in 2023. Another with extensive NRL experience (86 games and 3 international caps for Cook Islands), the 29-year-old was one of the commendable players who managed to play the majority of games for the Red Devils despite financial troubles off the field. Now at the Bulls, he is one of six players to have featured in every league and cup game so far and has two tries to his name.

Ryan Sutton

Club Apps: 8

Leader of the forward pack Sutton is enjoying his time back in Super League after seven years away as the Bulls skipper is a key catalyst under Haggerty.

Only Wigan's Liam Farrell has carried the ball more amongst the league's forwards than Sutton (88 carries) and he is seventh in the competition for metres. Like Ackers, it is the former Wigan Academy player's defensive efforts that stand out too as his 254 tackles in the league is the most made by a forward in 2026. He was a coup signing coming back from a spell in Australia, bringing back two Super League Grand Final winners rings (won in 2016 and 2018 with Wigan) as he opens a new chapter at Odsal.