The appointment of "local lad" Brian Noble as Bradford Bulls' new coach will be widely welcomed around the district, especially by those who know him.

He is a committed, dedicated Rugby League man through and through. His passion for the game has taken him to the very pinnacle of it, not only playing for his country but also skippering the Lions' tour of Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

He was a loyal and faithful servant at Odsal for many years before quite rightly going away to learn the rudiments of coaching at Wakefield Trinity. Since then he has learned even more working under two top coaches back at Odsal, Brian Smith and Matthew Elliott, both of whom have done a great job.

It is now fitting that Bradford-born Noble should have his chance to prove himself as Number 1 - especially as it presents him with the opportunity to demonstrate that home-grown talent can keep the Bulls at the top of the game without needing to keep employing Antipodeans to show us how it's done!

He is liked and respected by the players. Everyone knows that he will give his all. Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the appointment was the statement from chief executive Abi Ekoku who said that loyalty and sentimentality were not influential in the appointment.

In other words, Nobby's there purely on merit, chosen because he was considered to be the best in a field of high-quality candidates. We are certain that he will do a superb job, and wish him every success.