Ryan Sutton will miss Bradford Bulls’ trip to Leigh with a thumb injury, adding to a difficult selection picture for Kurt Haggerty’s side.
The Bradford vice-captain is unavailable for Friday’s game. Haggerty said he has 19 players available as the Bulls prepare for the trip.
Ryan Sutton injury leaves Bradford short for Leigh
Sutton is not the only concern. Full-back Luke Hooley is rated “50/50” after hurting his knee in the defeat by Wigan Warriors. Joe Mellor is also a 50-50 chance, while Phoenix Steinwede is out after failing a head injury assessment.
That leaves Haggerty to manage a stretched group for a fixture that arrives at a crucial point in Bradford’s season.
Bradford Bulls’ fight to avoid the bottom
Bradford are 14th and bottom of Super League with four matches remaining. They have lost nine of their past 10 games, though they have six wins from 17 matches, the same total as Huddersfield and Hull FC. The Bulls sit last on points difference.
Haggerty has made clear that the target for the run-in is to avoid the bottom-place finish.
“We don’t want the tag of finishing bottom so that will drive us for the rest of the season.”
Bradford returned to Super League for the 2026 campaign after a decade away, following the competition’s expansion to 14 teams. After Leigh, the Bulls travel to Toulouse before finishing with a home game against Castleford and an away match at York Knights.
Haggerty does not expect additions before Friday’s Super League deadline for new signings. For now, the focus is on getting the available squad ready for Leigh without Sutton.
