Jack Walker has insisted he is determined to help Bradford Bulls back to Super League after it was confirmed he has signed for the Championship club, bringing an end to his Leeds Rhinos career in the process. Walker, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull FC, has agreed a one-year deal with the Bulls.
It means that Walker's time as a Leeds Rhinos player is now at a permanent conclusion, having left on loan midway through 2022. He wasn't part of Rohan Smith's plans for 2023 and was granted permission to speak to other clubs.
In the end, he said the chance to play for the Bulls and head coach Mark Dunning had a major influence in his decision to join the club. “The club’s going in the right direction, and I want to be a part of that, it’s a great club to sign for and when I’ve spoken to Mark it made my mind up, this is the club I want to play for," he said.
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“I’m looking forward to working with Mark, he wants to stamp his own culture on this club and with the players he’s bringing in, it caught my eye and made me want to be a part of this club.
“I’ve got plenty of Super League experience in my time at Leeds and Hull, so I believe I can bring that know how to Bradford and impress the fans with how I play, Mark wants to give me the freedom when I play. In the past, I’ve been on the opposite end of the Bradford fans, so it will be good to have them cheering my name and I want to give my all for this club, it’s a proud moment for me.
“If I was to give a message to the fans, it would be that I can’t wait to get going and playing in front of the fans, they’re some of the best around and I want to help in putting a smile on their faces and getting the club back into Super League, where this club belongs."
The 23-year-old appeared destined for a huge future when he burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old in 2017, making his debut against Doncaster in the Challenge Cup and scoring a hat-trick in the process. He then became a regular presence in the Leeds side throughout 2017, ultimately playing fullback in their Grand Final victory over Castleford Tigers that year.
It remains the last time a Leeds side have won the Super League Grand Final and at the age of 18 years and 60 days Walker was, at that time, the youngest-ever player to lift the trophy. However, a number of serious injuries plagued him in the years which followed.
Walker missed most of the 2020 season and all of 2021 before returning to full fitness at the beginning of this year. However, his loan spell with Hull FC was also cut short due to an ankle injury and despite having one year left on his contract, Leeds have allowed him to move across West Yorkshire and join the Bulls.
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