BRADFORD BULLS chief executive Jason Hirst insists there will be nothing half-hearted about the resurgent club’s return to Super League.
The 56-year-old who took the role in May 2022 has been recognised for his work in progressing the fallen giants to the level where they gained enough points (14.81, up from 12.15) to make it under the club-grading system rather than through the application process, in which they were also involved.
Bradford, who were four times Super League champions between 1997 and 2005 but played in League One in 2018, are tenth (up from 16th) in the IMG-introduced gradings table, the highest of the grade B clubs and above existing Super League sides Castleford and Huddersfield.
And Hirst says the bid to get better won’t stop, with not just the playing squad, but also the condition of their Bartercard Odsal stadium, among the items at the top of the agenda for attention.
“We’re not shouting the odds about doing this and that, but nor are we going in to make up the numbers,” said Hirst of a Kurt Haggerty-coached team who will have hooker Andy Ackers, already signed from neighbours Leeds, and former halfback Rowan Milnes, recruited after leaving Hull KR, in their ranks.
“We have plans to bring in some world-class players, and our aim is to be a good, strong side. When teams play us, they’ll know they have been in a match.
“We have set internal targets, and if we reach them, I think our fans will be pleased.”
Bradford’s home, while historic, has come in for plenty of criticism, with its open terraces and track around a compact pitch.
Hirst, talking to BBC Sport West Yorkshire, says that with a long-term lease, stock car racing will remain at Odsal.
But he added: “There will be work done on the pitch, and we will look at the dimensions and tidy up the corners.
“Exactly what it will look like is yet to be determined, but we are sifting through the possibilities, and the work will start soon.
“When we return to Super League, the stadium and the pitch will be fit for purpose.”
Former Salford assistant coach Haggerty has agreed a three-year contract to replace club legend Brian Noble, under whom Bradford finished third in the Championship this year.
“I’m hoping to put a brand of rugby on the field where Bradford fans want to come and watch,” he said.