A WINNING START FOR BRIAN'S BULLS

Bradford Bulls opened their 2025 pre-season account with a 26-0 victory over Keighley Cougars to lift the Joe Phillips Memorial Trophy.

The game, which was the first under Brian Noble’s stewardship following his re-appointment as head coach, saw a number of new faces make their first run outs in the red, amber and black. 

And it was one of those, Waqa Blake, who scored the first points of the club’s new era. The Fijian outside back pounced on a grubber from fellow newbie James Meadows. 

Points were at a premium in an attritional first half, but a familiar face extended Bradford’s advantage. 

After a dominant period in the Cougars’ half, Logan Bayliss sent Ebon Scurr over with a crash ball close to the Keighley line. 

Another new recruit, Emmanuel Waine, extended the lead further having started and finished a break from inside his own half that involved Jorge Taufua. 

Eliot Peposhi wrestled his way over soon after before a try on his first senior appearance for Alfie Leake, who swatted away a number of Keighley defenders to score and seal an impressive afternoon’s work for Brian Noble’s side. 

BRADFORD BULLS: George Rayner, Jayden Okunbor, Waqa Blake, Jorge Taufua, Liam Tindall, James Meadows, Joe Keyes, Logan Bayliss, Mitch Souter, Ebon Scurr, Matty Gee, Emmanuel Waine, Ronan Michael. INTERCHANGES: K. Gill, Ott, Pele, Mason, Ackroyd, Leake, J. Gill, Bateman, Hunt, Corbett, Gray, Peposhi.

TRIES: Blake, Scurr, Waine, Peposhi, Leake

GOALS: Keyes 1/2 Meadows 1/2 Ackroyd 1/1