Bradford Bulls have announced the signing of Betfred League One Winner Dalton Desmond-Walker on a one-year deal.
The former Keighley Cougars man, who was part of their unbeaten League One winning campaign joins up with Mark Dunning’s Squad in 2023, after impressing in the Reserves in 2022.
Desmond-Walker, who is originally from Australia, joined the club on dual-reg last season and put in a number of good performances in the Reserves, and more recently in the fixture against World Cup debutants.
The powerhouse prop commented on the move, and how ‘proud’ he is to have signed for the Bradford Bulls.
“It’s a proud day for me and my family, to be a part of a historic organisation and team such as the Bradford Bulls, I cannot wait to get started”, said Desmond-Walker.
“Personally, I’m thrilled to sign here, my family are both fans of the sport and have supported me since i was young, they’re both so proud of me.
“I’m ready to start pre-season and rip in, I can’t wait to meet the other blokes and start a new chapter in my career in Rugby League, the excitement and a goal to achieve is going to help create a buzz around the stadium.
“The brand is renowned in Rugby League, so the chance to pull on the jersey and create new moments to cherish as well as earning the respect of the fans and staff alike was one I couldn’t turn down.
“If I was to give a message to the fans, it would be that you all ride the rollercoaster of emotions like we do, and I’m thankful for that as it shows passion and emotion, I’m going to bring effort, energy and hard work to Odsal. Let’s look at the positives, we have Super League quality players and World Cup players, some try-scoring machines and some established campaigners who have leadership skills as well as the hard-working blokes who are here for the long haul.
The 6ft2 prop will add some strength and no-nonsense battle to Mark Dunning’s 2023 pack with Dunning happy to have the prop on board.
“Dalton came to us last year on an agreement with Keighley, that he could play for our reserves, and he quickly became infectious within the group, he slotted straight in and was a good presence around the squad”, said Dunning.
“We sat down with Dalton recently and he asked the club for an opportunity to prove himself, to earn his place in the squad and he’s willing to work to prove his worth.
“Dalton will join the club as a squad player to start with, we’ve been open and honest with him in discussions, but I’d like to use AJ (Wallace) as an example, that the outstanding contribution he made to the team after coming in as a squad player, the chance is there for Dalton.
“If he conducts himself well and plays well, he’ll be knocking on the door of that First Team and he won’t be far away in the future, we’ve made it clear the opportunity is there.
“It’s a real positive signing for the club, it’s up to Dalton to make the season how he wants it, and he knows he needs to work hard for this club, that work starts now.”
