Prop Scurr signs new one-year deal to stay at Bradford Bulls

The 20-year-old prop has joined the growing number of Kear’s squad to pen a new deal for 2021.

Scurr is seen as one of the rising talents at the club – and believes they can match his ambitions.

He said: “I am really happy to have signed – the main factor behind me staying was seeing the direction the club is heading in.

“Having spoken to John and seeing his plans for the future I wanted to be a part of it – he is the coach I want to play under.

“He has put a lot of faith in me and the other younger lads and it is great to have that trust put in you.”

Scurr was given his senior debut last year in the 1895 Cup at Barrow but made the breakthrough at the start of 2020.

Kear was happy to put his faith in the youngster as the prop rotation with Levi Nzoungou to back up Steve Crossley and Anthony England.

Scurr featured in all four of the Championship games before the shutdown, as well in the Challenge Cup tie at Wakefield.

He admitted: “I was not expecting to play so much this year but I feel like I still have a lot to improve on – playing against Castleford and Leeds in pre-season helped me get used to first-team rugby.

“The atmosphere we have here and John’s experience helped me and I try to learn from the likes of Anthony England and Steve Crossley, who have a lot more experience.

“There are always players who try to tip you off and heading into 2021 I just want to be consistently performing in the first team.”

Kear has already secured the likes of Brandon Pickersgill, Sam Hallas, Brad Gallagher and Joe Brown in the past month and sees Scurr as another important piece in the jigsaw for the Bulls’ future.

Ebon Scurr carries the ball against Sheffield before the season was shut down

The coach had no qualms about throwing the young forward into regular battle.

He said: “It is very important that we strengthen our existing squad but equally as important to retain the younger players who we feel have big futures - and in the early stages of this year Ebon demonstrated he has a big future.

“It was not a surprise to me how well he played, he did it week in, week out for the academy.

“It was just a matter of if he could adjust to the physicality of week in, week out Championship rugby.

“But anyone who watched him saw he did, so we are really pleased to have a good player who will build into a very good one. He seized his opportunity and took it with both hands.

“It is very exciting times for all at the club. We feel we have the infrastructure within our academy to keep producing player.

“The easiest thing anyone could do would be to focus on the first team and forget the academy but we know we have the right things in place.

“It is paying off with the talent that keeps coming from the academy and it is another feather in the cap for all involved.”

The Bulls expect to hear over the weekend whether the RFL's autumn tournament, designed to replace the aborted season, will be going ahead.

They were the first club to declare an interest and feel hopeful that enough will register by today's deadline to make a proper competition.