THE OK EXTENDS!

Bradford Bulls are delighted to announce Jayden Okunbor has signed a new one-year deal – keeping him at the club until the end of the 2026 season.

The 28-year-old arrived at Bartercard Odsal midway through the 2024 campaign on an initial loan deal, before a series of impressive performances saw him put pen to paper on a permanent stay.

The former Canterbury Bulldog has made 32 appearances in the red, amber and black – scoring 17 tries to become a firm fans’ favourite on the terraces. 

Having spoken of his excitement at what the future holds as a Bull, ‘The Ok’ believes the club is on an upward trajectory and is keen to repay the faith shown in him. 

“I am very excited, I knew for a while I wanted to stay for another year and when I spoke to Jason [Hirst] and heard the club wanted to keep me that’s all I wanted to hear,” said Okunbor, who is sponsored by JL Osteopathy. 

“Everyone from the fans, volunteers, players and coaches have all made me feel really welcome since day one and I feel like I am playing some really good footy. The club has put me in a position where I am loving Rugby League again. 

“I grew up in Bankstown wanting to play for the [Canterbury] Bulldogs and I see a lot of similarities with the Bulls, the fans are die hard and incredibly passionate. I resonate with that as that was me growing up so for me to be able to give back to the fans and the club means the world to me. 

“In Australia the fans don’t really sing songs and I didn’t know what the Bulls fans were singing at first until Jimmy Meadows explained it but it’s awesome! My partner comes over soon and I am excited for her to hear it and I am hoping my mum can come over next year and hear it too I am sure they will be super proud. 

“I feel having a full pre-season here benefitted me massively, Nick [Botten] did a great job running that programme for us and we all came through it in really good shape. I feel good at the minute, we would have loved to have been at Wembley of course but we have gone away and come back refreshed and ready to go again. 

“Now I have signed I am excited for another whole year with the club, we’re on a journey and we won’t stop till we get to where we want to be.” 

Head coach Brian Noble, who is sponsored by Paints & Lacquers, has hailed Okunbor’s retention as a ‘coup’. 

“I think it’s a coup for the club as I think he had other options, he is one of our best players every week. First and foremost you have to keep your best players, the fans and the club have played their part in keeping Jayden as you can tell he enjoys his time here. 

“He is enjoying his football, he has a smile on his face when he plays, he is very determined and has good leadership qualities. I don’t think he had the best of times at his previous club and Jayden deciding to stay with us is a good reflection of how much he is enjoying his time with us.”

Jayden is poised to feature as we host York Knights at Bartercard Odsal this Sunday - looking to stretch to eight league wins in a row, which would be our best run for 10 years!

Your support, as always, is vital for us and we'd love to see a bumper Bradford crowd, loud and proud, backing the boys this Sunday!

CLICK HERE to book your spot - alternatively, call us on 0333 323 5075 or visit the Team Shop. 

Bradford Bulls Team Shop Opening Hours   

Wednesday (10:00-15:00)

Thursday (10:00-15:00)

Friday (10:00-15:00)

Saturday (10:00-14:00)