Bentley is Heading to the Bulls

The Bradford Bulls have announced the signing of James Bentley on a three-year deal from the start of the 2027 season.

The 29-year-old is a product of the club’s famed pathway system, making his senior debut at the Bulls in an 82-0 win over Oldham in 2026, aged just 18.

Bentley, primarily a back row forward, has since enjoyed spells at Leeds Rhinos and current club Warrington Wolves, after a successful stint in the Red Vee of St Helens.

The Ireland international won three League Leaders’ Shields as well the 2020 Super League Grand Final at Saints – having also appeared at Old Trafford for the Rhinos in 2022.

James Bentley said:

“I am buzzing at the opportunity to come back to Bradford and get to play where it all started, now the club is back in Super league it makes it extra special and I want to come back to win trophies and bring silverware back to Bradford.

“With where I am at in my career, when the opportunity to come back came around it was something I wanted to do. From speaking to Kurt [Haggerty] and Brian [Noble] and hearing where they want to take the club, it really excites me and made me want to be a part of that.

“There are a lot of quality players coming back to the club and with the direction the club is going in, it is an exciting time. I have learnt a lot in my career so my role will look a lot different, I will be coming back to be a leader and to teach some of the younger lads who are in the squad.

“I can’t wait to be running back out at Bartercard Odsal again as a Bradford player, it is a great stadium and I loved being back there last week. I can’t wait to call it home again and to get back out there playing for the Bradford fans.”

Kurt Haggerty, said:

“I'm extremely pleased to be bringing James back to the club, he is another serial winner we’ve got over the line. He’s another Bradford boy, he’s ultra-competitive, he wants to win every moment he’s involved in and he certainly suits our narrative of the scrappers. He is a player that has played in and won big games, so he is going to add a lot of value on and off the field.

“We’ve done a lot of homework around James regarding his intensity in training, we obviously know how he plays within games and ultimately the feedback we have received has been first class. I know exactly what he offers on the field, I won’t be trying to pull anything back in regards to how he plays either, I understand the way he plays and he sometimes plays on the edge but that is not always a bad thing.

“When I sit down and go through recruitment, we always have a strategy and I try put players into categories of professionalism, competitors and aggressors so that’s what I always look at and James ticks that box. When you go to play in big games and you’ve got the likes of James Bentley, John Bateman and Zac Fulton in your back row, it certainly adds some spice.