Bradford Bulls to bring in Joe Keyes from Halifax Panthers

There have been rumours in rugby league circles for weeks that this move for Keyes might be happening, and it has finally been confirmed.

The 28-year-old is a familiar face to Bradford supporters, having previously plied his trade at Odsal between 2016 and 2019.

The Ireland international also enjoyed a three-game loan spell in 2021 – and has made a total of 63 appearances for the Bulls, scoring 476 points.

The half-back has spoken of his intention to repay Bulls head coach Eamon O’Carroll’s faith in him – having “grown as a person and as a player” in recent years.

He said: “I had a good chat with Eamon and I’m excited to be coming back and seeing everyone again and see some new faces too.

“It will be good to get to know them and it is exciting times.

“I’m very appreciative of the faith Eamon has shown in me, it is nice to be wanted.

“I’ve grown a lot as a person and as a player since I was last at the club so hopefully I can repay the faith he’s shown in me.

Joe Keyes wheels away after kicking the winning points at the death against York in February 2018. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

“Everything at the club looks largely positive from what I’ve seen, obviously I haven’t been looking into things too much but you can see the positive impact from the bits I have.

“It’s something that looks like it’s an exciting thing to be a part of and from speaking to Eamon it’s definitely something I want to be involved it.”

Bradford head coach O’Carroll has spoken of his delight at capturing Keyes, who he believes will play a big part in the club’s progression in the years to come.

He said: “I am really pleased to be signing Joe.

“I have been really impressed with him, he’s playing really well at the minute and he obviously has an affiliation with the club.

“When I sat down and chatted to him and spoke about the vision of the club, where we see ourselves going and how we get there, he will play a big part in that.

Eamon O'Carroll is already planning ahead for his vision of the Bradford Bulls in 2025. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

“It’s an exciting time for him to be joining the club and he will certainly add quality.

“He is a exciting player, who’s been one of the best halves in the competition for a few years, and having that familiarity with the club will help him here too.

“I’m really impressed with the element of calmness in his play, which we need.

“He has really good leadership qualities and is very capable. He will be a great addition for us.

“It’s no secret we are 13 games into the league season, on top of having had a number of cup games, and we’ve only had two games with our starting one, six, seven and nine.

“It’s an area we were lacking in, so it was important we brought in some quality.”