Brian Noble establishes Bradford Northern legacy as a player

Whether it be leading the Bulls to THAT treble in 2003, turning them into three-time World Champions, or returning to the club over the last few years and playing a key role in turning them into a second-tier force after a decade in the wilderness.

Whatever happens during his year as head coach in 2025 (assuming his return to the top job does not extend beyond his current one-year deal), Noble will already go down as the club’s greatest ever boss.

But those of an older vintage will know that Noble’s Bradford legacy started well before he became head coach at the end of 2000, and even before he became part of the backroom staff in the mid-nineties.

As number nines go, in rugby league terms and not Andy Cook or Bobby Campbell terms, Brian Noble is one of Bradford’s best-ever.

Brian Noble leaves the Leeds defence chasing shadows during the 1986-87 season. (Image: T&A.)

Born in February 1961, Noble is Bradford through and through.

Born in St Luke’s Hospital, he spent his childhood living in Manningham, then Eccleshill, while attending Drummond Road Primary School in BD8 and Hanson (Secondary) School in BD2.

And in the days when rugby league was a long way from having professionals, Noble also happened to work as a police officer out of Bradford Central.

But Northern recognised this was someone who could punish opposition defences as well as criminals from a very early age.

Noble was handed his debut for the club at hooker during the 1978-79 campaign, just as he turned 18, with Bradford claiming their ninth Yorkshire Cup success that season.

He did not have things all his own way though, with Featherstone and England great John “Keith” Bridges understandably ahead of him in the pecking order after signing for Bradford in 1979.

It was Bridges who played at nine in Bradford’s John Player Trophy win over Widnes in January 1980, but a teenage Noble still had a hand in the club winning their first-ever top-flight title at the end of that season.

They almost completed a famous treble, only for Widnes to beat them in the Premiership final at Swinton’s Station Road.

A sign of how good Noble was, he managed 14 appearances in 1980/81, despite the continued presence of international ace Bridges, who was still in the prime of his career in his late twenties.

It meant Noble was a key part of the side who retained the Championship crown that season, an extraordinary achievement given Northern had not won it once in the first 72 years of their existence.

Noble played 24 times in 1981/82 as Bradford could only finish fifth, but with Bridges leaving at the end of that season to join Hull FC, the youngster was now indisputably their starting hooker.

And that was how things remained for the next decade, with Noble one of the first names on the team sheet week in, week out.

Brian Noble attempting to scamper his way through the Featherstone defence at Odsal. (Image: T&A.)

It was around this time that Noble began to make his mark internationally, playing for Great Britain against the iconic invincible Australians in 1982, the Kangaroos winning all 22 games on their winter tour of Europe.

Incredibly, two years later, Noble was named as Great Britain captain for their tour of Australasia, despite having only just turned 23.

They won 16 of their 24 games, though lost Test series to both Australia and New Zealand for the first time since 1950.

But Noble led Britain to victory in their one-off Test against Papua New Guinea, as they ended a gruelling three-month tour on a high.

The experience clearly did not put Noble off travelling Down Under, as he enjoyed a brief spell with Cronulla Sharks in 1985 during Bradford’s off season.

After that, Noble returned to once again become a fixture of British club rugby league.

He was part of the front row as Northern won the 1987-88 Yorkshire Cup final, beating Castleford 11-2 in the replay at Elland Road after the initial tie finished level at Headingley.

They won that trophy for the 11th and final time in November 1989, though it was future West Bowling head coach Glenn Barraclough who played at hooker in the final success against Featherstone.

But Noble was starting at number nine six months later, as Bradford faced Widnes in the Premiership final.

They had got there with a sensational 9-0 win at Wigan in the semis, as they kept an incredibly talented side containing the likes of Shaun Edwards and Ellery Hanley scoreless.

Sadly, they fell short in the final, hammered 28-6 at Old Trafford by a Widnes side whose starting wingers just happened to be Martin Offiah and Jonathan Davies.

Despite only playing 23 times that season, Noble’s win ratio was nearly 75 per cent, as they claimed victory in 17 of those games.

Brian Noble (second left) celebrates a victory with his team-mates and a glass of milk in the alcohol-free bar at Odsal back in the late eighties. (Image: T&A.)

Thereafter, Noble had three more seasons as Bradford’s starting hooker, notching his first try in two and a half years during the Yorkshire Cup win over Bramley in September 1991.

The Bradfordian played his final two games for Northern in 1993-94, making almost 400 appearances in total for the club before winding down his career at Wakefield.

He ended his playing days with Trinity in the 1995-96 season, going on to resume his Bradford legacy on the other side of the touchline.