Bradford Bulls star Jordan Lilley finally has operation

The Bulls scrum half went over on his ankle during a game at the end of July, leading to the development of an ugly cyst there.

And while he insists it did not affect his performances for Bradford moving forward, the option was there to get things back to normal straightaway.

Lilley refused, such was his determination to help Bulls get promoted into Betfred Super League, a goal they narrowly missed out on.

Instead, he took the plunge on Tuesday, so will miss the first couple of weeks of pre-season, while he is a slight doubt for Bulls’ opening friendly of the 2025 campaign, which he has been told will take place on Sunday, December 22, though the club are yet to confirm this.

Lilley said: “I played every game last season, but at Widnes in July I went over on my ankle.

“I don’t know if it was the trauma from that, but I developed a cyst that grew on my ankle, which got bigger as the year went on.

“It never affected how I played, but I’d already had an operation on the same ankle a couple of years earlier, and the cyst grew on to that part of my bone.

“It meant it was sat on my bootline, which made it uncomfortable and agitating at times.

“We could have got it operated on in the middle of the year, but I wanted to get through the season, so it didn’t affect any games.

Jordan Lilley scored this wonderful try for Bulls against Featherstone in the pair's play-off eliminator last month, more than two months after he suffered his initial ankle problem. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

“That was the plan all along and I finally had that cyst removed on Tuesday.”

While Lilley is not set to be a long-term absentee, it does mean he won’t return to pre-season training like his team-mates next week.

He said: “I’ve got a cast on now that will keep me out for two weeks, then I should be pretty much straight back into the fold.

“Not running at that point, just being back around the boys at Tong.

“It won’t keep me out for months, it’s just a few weeks to get healed then we’ll crack back on.

“Whether I’m ready for that first game depends on how quick it heals and how I feel.

“This year coming will be another long one like last season and we’re starting even earlier than normal.

“My goal is to play every game next year at a consistently high level, so I don’t want to push myself into something too quickly that might spiral into another injury.

“We’ve got a good five weeks until that game on December 22 and if I’m fit and ready, I’ll put my hand up to play.

“If not, I’ll keep working hard and try to make sure I get at least one friendly in before the Challenge Cup starts for us at the end of January.”

Strangely, because Brian Noble has been back at the club in some capacity since 2022, Lilley is already accustomed to working under him and learning from him.

Even so, having one of the club’s greatest figures as your head coach for 2025 must be rather exciting?

The long-serving half back reflected: “It’s brilliant to have him as head coach.

“I’ve worked closely with Nobby and Greeny (first team coach Lee Greenwood) for the best part of three years now.

“The pair of them took over when Mark Dunning went in 2023 and we had a good year with them, then both of them were still here as coaches when Eamon O’Carroll took charge for 2024.

“I think it’s good we’ve kept it within the group because we’re starting to build something special here.

“We understand how to get the best out of each other and with the philosophies we’ve tried to bring in over the last couple of years, it’s good to keep those up with the same coaches.

“We’ve got to two semi-finals in two years, so something’s obviously working.

“The relationship I’ve got with Nobby and Greeny is brilliant, because they’re champion blokes on and off the field.

Brian Noble and Lee Greenwood have been around the Bulls squad for a long time now and seem to be extremely popular among the players. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

“I’m looking forward to continuing my development under them and to keep bettering myself as a player.”

While Lilley prides himself on his own individual performances, he is very much team-first, and he cannot wait to play alongside the rest of Bulls’ 2025 squad.

He said: “It’s exciting because Bradford are showing in this off-season that they’re really trying to get top spot next year.

“Ultimately, they’re looking to get into Super League with some of the signings they’re making.

“I know there are some in the pipeline that are yet to come out publicly and those are big names to get in (outside back Waqa Blake is rumoured to have signed for Bulls for next year following his exit from St Helens for example).

“I’m looking forward to training and playing alongside those lads and I’m looking forward to the year ahead.”