Bradford Bulls reveal 14 end-of-season departures from Odsal

Chester Butler has sadly decided to retire at the age of just 29 after a career riddled with injury problems, while his fellow back row, John Davies, is taking a year out of the game for personal reasons.

Many wondered whether Zac Fulton would be heading to Super League for 2025, and he is leaving for pastures new.

But the second row has chosen to return to Australia, turning down a lucrative contract offer from Bradford to head back to his native country.

He will be followed back Down Under by his close friend Max Lehmann, the outside back leaving Odsal having not been offered terms for 2025.

Max Lehmann (back) leaps on Zac Fulton after the latter's try at Dewsbury, but both will be returning to Australia now. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

With Joe Keyes and James Meadows having signed for next year, it is perhaps not too surprising that veteran half backs Lee Gaskell and Jarrod Sammut have been released.

Sammut was a huge influence on the Bulls side at the sharp end of the season though, and it may come as a slight surprise that the popular Aussie has been let go from his second spell with the club, especially given he had made it clear he was keen to stay.

Gaskell, also in his second spell with Bradford, was influential in 2023, but struggled to get going this season after suffering frustrating hamstring issues throughout.

Like Sammut and Gaskell, Joe Arundel spent time with Bulls as a Super League club a decade ago before returning several years later with them in the second tier.

The veteran centre will be staying in the Championship, but he is leaving Bulls to take up an opportunity at another club.

Jordan Baldwinson’s second spell at Bulls never really got going again after he suffered a horror knee injury away to Toulouse last summer, but the club worked hard with him in his rehabilitation thereafter, and the prop will hope to get his career back on track elsewhere.

Another prop, Harvey Makin, has gone back to parent club Wigan after his successful spell with Bradford, while centre Romain Franco will not be returning to Odsal either following the conclusion of his loan from Wakefield.

Romain Franco scoring a debut try for Bulls in a Friday night game at Odsal against Dewsbury. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Eribe Doro, as announced several months ago, is joining Hull Kingston Rovers in Super League next season.

Young pair Jaden Barraclough and Dom Waites are departing Odsal after not being offered terms, while winger Will Oakes also leaves after an injury-ridden spell.

All of the players leaving only had contracts running until the end of this season.

The only major outlier as it stands is Australian-born winger Jorge Taufua.

Jorge Taufua may still be a Bulls player in 2025, but nothing has been decided yet. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

The former Tonga and Samoa international has not yet signed a new deal with Bulls for 2025, but the club remain in negotiations with the 32-year-old, and are hopeful he will extend his stay with the club.

Bulls currently have 25 players contracted for the 2025 season, with the latest additions to that list being Meadows, whose move from London Broncos was confirmed last Wednesday, and young half back Sam Ackroyd, who signed a new one-year deal last Friday.