Debut: Vs Warrington Wolves (H) 12/02/2022

Honours:

Grand Final: Winner 2020 (St Helens); Finalist 2022

World Club Challenge: Finalist 2020 (St Helens)

League Leaders' Shield: Winner 2019, 2020, 2021 (all St Helens)

Leeds Rhinos signed St Helens back rower James Bentley on a two year contract from 2022 to bring the former Oulton Raider amateur back to his home city.

The Ireland international started the 2020 Grand Final for reigning Champions St Helens and returned to West Yorkshire after beginning his career at Bradford Bulls in 2016, having originally been part of Featherstone Rovers scholarship programme.

He made his senior debut for the Bulls in 2016 and played 28 games for Bradford, scooping their Young Player and Players’ Player of the Year awards as well as being named the Championship’s Young Player of the Year before joining Saints on a three year contract in 2018.

He spent the majority of 2018 on dual registration at Sheffield but made his St Helens first team debut at home to Hull FC when Saints lifted the League Leaders’ Shield. Two more appearances followed, as did an international call-up to Ireland for their European Championship campaign.

2019 saw Bentley play 17 times for Justin Holbrook as he showed his versatility, impressing at hooker, back row and centre. He quickly became a fans favourite and went from strength to strength in 2020, nailing down a starting berth in the back row and impressing throughout the Grand Final winning campaign. He was rewarded with the Saints Young Player of the Year Award.

Moving to Leeds following another League Leaders' Shield win with the Saints, Bentley debuted for the Rhinos against Warrington at Headingley in round one of the 2022 season. Over the course of the season, he was one of the club's top performers in the 22 games he played. Towards the end of the season, he scored twice to cap a great performance against Wigan in the Play Offs and ran out at Old Trafford against his former side. Internationally, he added three more caps for Ireland at the World Cup, notably scoring a try in the Wolfhounds' opening game against Jamaica at Headingley.

2023 saw Bentley have his season cut short by injury at the start and end of the year. Coming off the bench in round four against Wakefield, he scored four times against Leigh, Salford, Castleford and Warrington but a head injury suffered against Huddersfield in round 23 ruled the forward out until the start of 2024. 

The back rower bounced back as he made his return to action in round one, and despite missing the middle of the season after suffering a concussion against Castleford in round six, he was heavily used as an impact off the bench by Brad Arthur in the second half of the season. Returning to action in a 34-6 win over Huddersfield, he helped the Rhinos to four wins down the stretch, including a two-try performance in the final home game of the year against Hull FC.