Bradford Bulls: The fallen giants are gearing up for a new Premier League chapter

The massive drop from one of the game’s key players to a rebuilt team at the bottom tier has taken some of the edge away from Bradford’s claim to being a powerhouse.

This had an impact on the fan base, the type of players they were able to recruit, and their impact on investors.

However, any fears of the Bulls returning to their former demise have been dispelled thanks to the investment of an enthusiastic board, and the club-at-heart mentality of CEO and hometown fan Jason Hirst.

Their foundation plays an important role in spreading the sport to new audiences, while partnerships with amateur clubs in the region are also a vital way of forging links with the community.

Off the field, the Bulls have been consistently profitable in recent seasons, while the squad has been carefully rebuilt by a succession of managers starting with John Kerr who brought them out of the League One doldrums and restored pride to Odsal, Mark Dunning also keeping the upward curve going.

Until the end of this season, Brian Noble was brought in, after highly-rated Eamonn O’Carroll was snapped up by St Helens to join the staff, and his legacy as a Bradford legend has helped recapture some of that DNA, that passion and professionalism.

Now the reins will be given to another excellent young coach in Kurt Haggerty, who served his coaching careers at Toronto Wolfpack, Lee and Salford Red Devils before taking on the senior role.

If ‘excellence’ across the classification is the way to climb the pyramid, Bradford has carefully ensured the requirements are met to achieve it.