The 2026 season was the Bradford Bulls first season playing in England's top division of rugby league for the first time in four years, following their ascension to the league through the IMG Grading system. They competed in the 2026 Super League season and the 2026 Challenge Cup.
Preseason friendlies
Date and timeVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceReport 10 January; 15:00 Dewsbury Rams A Crown Flatt C–C 11 January; 15:00 Doncaster R.L.F.C. A Eco-Power Stadium 30–12 Marsters, Nikorima, Blake, Fulton, Hooley, Gill Okunbor (1/1), Milnes (1/4), Hooley (1/1) 24 January; 15:00 Leeds Rhinos A Headingley Rugby Stadium 16–46 Keyes, Ryan (2) Hooley (2/3)
Super League
From 2026, the Super League expanded to 14 teams, with Toulouse Olympique and York Knights being promoted from the RFL Championship via the IMG Grading system. As a result of Salford Red Devils being relegated, however, Bradford returned to the Super League for the first time since 2016. This marked Bradford's return to the Super League for the first time since the 2016 season.
The condition of Bradford's home Odsal Stadium proved initially controversial, with Leigh Leopards coach Adrian Lam calling the pitch a "shitbox" and stating he was "not looking forward to going there, but I'm looking forward to [the Bulls] being part of the competition". Ahead of the start of the season, stock car racing was discontinued at Odsal as part of a series of ground improvements to bring the stadium back up to Super League standards, which included the installation of new floodlights and LED advertising boards, a repainting of the South Bank hospitality suites, a new big screen replacing one that had been damaged by high winds a year prior, and astroturfing around the edges of the pitch, the smallest pitch in the Super League permitted by RFL regulations.
Fixtures Bradford Bulls' Super League 2026 fixtures were released on 27 November 2025:
Date and timeRoundVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceTVPos.Report 14 February; 17:30 Round 1 Hull F.C. A MKM Stadium 20–27 Wynne (2), Blake Milnes (2/3 + 2 pen.) 16,653 Sky Sports + 10th 20 February; 20:00 Round 2 Catalans Dragons H Odsal Stadium 28–10 Blake (2), Ackers, Aekins Milnes (3/4 + 3 pen.) 9,992 Sky Sports Action 4th 1 March; 15:00 Round 3 Toulouse Olympique H Odsal Stadium 18–6 Ryan (3), Blake Milnes (1/4) 8,777 Sky Sports + 4th 7 March; 17:30 Round 4 St Helens A BrewDog Stadium 22–26 Wynne (2), Ryan, Ackers Hooley (2/4 + 1 pen.) 12,031 Sky Sports + 5th 20 March; 20:00 Round 5 Huddersfield Giants H Odsal Stadium 26–14 Nikorima (2), Ruan, Hooley Atkin (2/2), Hooley (1/2 + 2 pen.) 10,031 Sky Sports + 5th 26 March; 20:00 Round 6 Castleford Tigers A Wheldon Road 28–40 Marsters, Mellor, Hooley Hooley (4/4 + 2 pen.) 7,095 Sky Sports + Main 6th 3 April; 20:00(Good Friday) Round 7(Rivals Round) Leeds Rhinos H Odsal Stadium 12–24 Blake, Wynne, Mellor Milnes (0/3) 14,491 BBC iPlayerSky Sports + 8th 18 April; 20:00 Round 8 Wakefield Trinity A Belle Vue 12–52 Fulton, Peposhi Atkin (2/2) 8,608 Sky Sports + 8th 25 April; 15:00 Round 9 Hull KR H Odsal Stadium 12–48 Douglas, Eden Atkin (2/2) 7,751 Sky Sports + 11th 2 May; 15:00 Round 10 Wigan Warriors A Brick Community Stadium 14–38 Ryan (2), Fulton Atkin (1/3) 13,362 BBC iPlayerSky Sports + 11th 17 May; 15:00 Round 11 Hull F.C. H Odsal Stadium 16–14 Blake, Ryan Atkin (1/2 + 3 pen.) 7,815 Sky Sports + 10th 24 May; 15:00 Round 12 Warrington Wolves A Halliwell Jones Stadium 12–26 Gill, Nikorima Atkin (1/1), Hooley (1/1) 9,306 Sky Sports + 11th 5 June; 20:00 Round 13 York Knights H Odsal Stadium 30–20 Nikorima, Mellor, Dean, Doro Dean (4/4 + 3 pen.) 7,066 Sky Sports + 9th 14 June; 15:00 Round 14 Leigh Leopards H Odsal Stadium 12–38 Atkin, Aekins Dean (2/2) 8,010 Sky Sports + 10th 20 June; 18:00 (BST) Round 15 Catalans Dragons A Stade Gilbert Brutus 24–34 Wynne (2), Sutton, Ryan, Aekins Atkin (1/3), Dean (1/2) 8,122 Sky Sports + 11th 27 June; 20:00 Round 16 St Helens H Odsal Stadium 10–40 Steinwede Hooley (1/1 + 1 pen.), Atkin (1 pen.) 7,019 Sky Sports + 11th 5 July; 15:00 Round 17(Magic Weekend) Leeds Rhinos N Hill Dickinson Stadium 16–50 Ryan (2), Aekins Hooley (2/3) 42,903 Sky Sports + Main 13th 10 July; 20:00 Round 18 Huddersfield Giants A Kirklees Stadium 30–14 Blake (2), Sutton, Nikorima Atkin (4/4 + 3 pen.) 3,969 Sky Sports + 11th 16 July; 20:00 Round 19 Wakefield Trinity H Odsal Stadium 12–26 Ryan, Atkin Hooley (1/2 + 1 pen.) 7,518 Sky Sports + 12th 26 July; 15:00 Round 20(Rivals Round Reversed) Leeds Rhinos A Headingley Rugby Stadium 12–42 Armitage, Ryan Hooley (2/2) 16,548 BBC TwoSky Sports + 12th 31 July; 20:00 Round 21 Hull KR A Craven Park 16–40 Armitage, Wynne, Ackers Hooley (2/3) 12,126 Sky Sports + 12th 8 August; 18:30 Round 22 Warrington Wolves H Odsal Stadium 4–42 Ryan Hooley (0/1) Sky Sports + 13th 15 August; 18:30 Round 23 Wigan Warriors H Odsal Stadium 6–34 Ackers Hooley (1/1) 7,561 Sky Sports + 14th 21 August; 20:00 Round 24 Leigh Leopards A Leigh Sports Village 10–62 Blake, Peposhi Atkin (1/2) 8,045 Sky Sports + 14th 29 August; 20:00 (BST) Round 25 Toulouse Olympique A Stade Ernest Wallon 18–28 Atkin, Ackers, Leake Hooley (1/1), Atkin (2/2) 3,743 Sky Sports + 14th 3 September; 20:00 Round 26 Castleford Tigers H Odsal Stadium 32–22 Dean, Wynne, Aekins, Russell, Blake, Scurr Atkin (4/5) 6,786 Sky Sports + 14th 10 September; 20:00 Round 27 York Knights A York Community Stadium 12–35 Sutton, Dean, Okunbor Atkin (2/3) 5,136 Sky Sports + 14th
Table
Challenge Cup
The Bradford Bulls were first drawn on 12 January to play the London Broncos, following London's 86-0 defeat of the Wests Warriors in their Round 2 fixture on 25 January. Following their victory against London, the Bradford Bulls were ultimately knocked out of the 2026 Challenge Cup after being beaten 30-6 away by eventual cup final winners Wigan Warriors.
Date and timeRoundVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceTVReport 7 February; 18:00 Round 3 London Broncos A Plough Lane 26–8 Okunbor, Ackers, Ryan, Russell, Blake Milnes (3/5) 3,477 BBC iPlayer 14 March; 12:00 Round 4 Wigan Warriors A Brick Community Stadium 6–30 Ryan Hooley 9,997 Not televised
Transfers Gains Player Club Contract Date Luke Hooley Castleford Tigers 2 years September 2025 Andy Ackers Leeds Rhinos 2 years October 2025 Rowan Milnes Castleford Tigers 2 years October 2025 Eribe Doro Hull Kingston Rovers 2 years October 2025 Ethan Ryan Oldham 3 years October 2025 Jayden Nikorima Salford Red Devils 3 years October 2025 Loghan Lewis Salford Red Devils 2 years October 2025 Will Gardiner Hull F.C. 2 years October 2025 Brandon Douglas Halifax Panthers 2 years October 2025 Connor Wynne Featherstone Rovers 1 year November 2025 Caleb Aekins Featherstone Rovers 1 year November 2025 Daniel Russell Warrington Wolves 1 year November 2025 Ryan Sutton Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 1 year November 2025 Joe Mellor Salford Red Devils 1 year November 2025 Esan Marsters Salford Red Devils 3 years December 2025 Chris Atkin Castleford Tigers 1 year March 2026 Phoenix Steinwede Tweed Heads Seagulls End of season March 2026 Riley Dean Oldham R.L.F.C. End of season May 2026
Loans in Player Club Loan period Date Ed Chamberlain Hull F.C. End of season November 2025 Leon Ruan Hull Kingston Rovers End of season December 2025 Jack Ormondroyd Oldham R.L.F.C. End of season March 2026 Greg Eden North Wales Crusaders One month April 2026
Losses Player Club Contract Date Chris Hill N/A Retirement September 2025 Michael Lawrence N/A Retirement September 2025 Kieran Gill Sheffield Eagles 2 years October 2025 Jordan Lilley Sheffield Eagles 2 years October 2025 Bayley Liu Halifax Panthers 1 year October 2025 Matty Gee N/A Retirement October 2025 Tom Holmes Doncaster R.L.F.C. 2 years November 2025 Emmanuel Waine Oldham R.L.F.C. 1 year November 2025 Jimmy Meadows London Broncos 1 year December 2025 Logan Bayliss-Brow Gold Coast Titans 1 year December 2025 Nathan Mason N/A December 2025 James Donaldson N/A Retirement December 2025 Tyran Ott Ipswich Jets 1 year January 2026 Zane Musgrove Western Clydesdales April 2026 Ronan Michael Innisfail Leprechauns April 2026
Loans out Player Club Loan period Date Jacob Bateman Dewsbury Rams End of season November 2025 Jamie Gill Dewsbury Rams End of season February 2026 Cameron Bate Swinton Lions End of season February 2026 Brandon Douglas Halifax Panthers 1 month April 2026
Squad
Notes
References