Bradford Bulls coach John Kear has paid tribute to the attitude of hooker George Flanagan on his return from long-term suspension on Sunday.
Flanagan came off the bench in the Bulls’ Challenge Cup clash against Underbank Rangers after having completed an eight-match ban.
The former Batley and Hunslet player was handed the suspension in August after being found guilty of attacking the testicles of Toronto’s Hakim Miloudi in a Championship clash.
The ban had put his chances of a new deal at the club in jeopardy, but the Bulls kept faith with him and Kear says that has been repaid.
The Bradford boss said: “George has been great while he’s been banned – very patient and very supportive of others in the squad.
“He’s been frustrated as well, but we’ve spoken about that together.
“George plays on the edge, everybody knows that, we need to make sure that he’s close and not quite over the top of it.
“He is a competitive, aggressive player by nature, and you don’t want to take away too much of that for him become a sterile individual that’s lost that edge.”
Flanagan had been pencilled in for half an hour in the midweek reserves game with Castleford before it was postponed, so he went straight back into the first team.
He effectively replaced prop Anthony England, who Kear felt deserved a rest following his efforts in the league defeat to Featherstone.
Kear explained: “Anthony made 22 carries and over 30 tackles in that game, it was a big effort.
“With him being on the wrong side of 30 we want to manage his game time.
“Sam Hallas moved to 13, Liam Kirk to prop and Thomas Doyle started at hooker, which was a reward for his really good form.”
Last week the Bulls announced that Bradford Park Avenue’s Horsfall Stadium will host the club’s Academy, scholarship, reserves and women’s games during the 2020 season.
The stadium opened in 1931 and has a main stand that holds over 1,800 seats and offers standing vantage points around the perimeter of the pitch.
Bradford director Mark Kilgallon said: “We would like to thank Bradford Park Avenue for their assistance and offering us their facility to play our junior and women’s sides in 2020.
“We have always enjoyed close links with the club, which also boasts fantastic heritage and we trust our supporters and players will enjoy playing at a top-class facility such as the Horsfall Stadium.”