BRADFORD BULLS are set to add to their squad for the 2023 Championship campaign, head coach Mark Dunning has revealed.
The Bulls have already added the likes of Jack Walker, Bodene Thompson, Michael Lawrence and Tom Holmes, but more are expected through the doors at Odsal.
For Dunning it’s about giving the people of Bradford a team that the city can be proud of – and he firmly believes he is doing just that at present.
“The people of Bradford, it’s given them something that they believe in,” Dunning told League Express.
“We are giving them a squad that resembles a hard-working team. Bradfordians will accept anything as long as they see effort and I think we’ve done that. We’ve given them something to believe in. It’s looking really positive.
“I think from the personnel we are bringing in and the change in culture we are trying to instil, the fans can relate which has been a massive part of it. It’s really exciting and we will be able to see a few more recruits coming through as well.
“We are looking everywhere, if we see a player that fits what we need then we go for it within budget.
“My CEO (Jason Hirst) has been really supportive and he is doing his best to help and get any deal over the line. We are working on a strict budget and we won’t go over that but if we can get the deals done then we will.”
At the heart of the new Bradford direction is the recruitment board recently established which includes Brian Noble and Nigel Wood.
And it’s fair to say that Dunning is a fan of bringing in people with such knowledge and contacts.
“I’m a firm believer in if you’ve got knowledge and experience you should tap into it and use it wherever possible,” Dunning continued.
“It’s good to bounce ideas about. The buck stops with me though, if I get asked if I’m interested in a player it’s got to be the perfect fit.
“But the board has been really helpful, they have got some connections that I haven’t got so it’s certainly helped get a few deals over the line.”
In recent years, the Bulls have perhaps disappointed on the field, but Dunning isn’t making excuses, instead choosing to further the good work currently being done.
“There are a million reasons why. If you break things down and dissect them, you could pick a number of reasons why but the top reason is we haven’t won enough games.
“We have tried to change the culture from top to bottom. Again I’ve had some really good support especially form the CEO Jason Hirst and then the club is more united than it has been for a longtime.
“We’ve got a holistic goal and we’ve got views that are very open and hopefully we will go in the same direction this year.”
