Bradford Bulls head coach Kurt Haggerty ready for emotions surrounding Leeds Rhinos derby: ‘We want to put on a show!’
bradford bulls face Leeds Rhinos in the first Super League derby between the clubs since 2014, scheduled for Good Friday at 20: 00 BST at Odsal Stadium. The fixture restarts a storied Yorkshire rivalry as Bradford return to the top flight in 2026 following relegation in 2014. Head coach Kurt Haggerty says the week has felt “a little bit different” and that the club has worked to manage emotion so the team can “put on a show. “
Bradford Bulls ready for derby emotion
Haggerty, identified in team announcements as the Bradford Bulls head coach, made clear the build-up has amplified expectations inside the dressing room. “You would be lying if you said this week didn’t feel a little bit different, ” he said, adding that the club has had to “pull back a bit and focus just on the game at the moment. ” The coach stressed the need to control emotion and deliver a performance for supporters who have waited more than a decade for a Super League meeting with Leeds.
Leeds arrive having ended another team’s unbeaten start to the season with a strong win, leaving the clubs separated by two points in the table heading into the derby. That narrow gap ensures competitive stakes on the field as well as emotional weight off it; Bradford are inside the top half while Leeds sit just above them in third.
Rivalry revived: past icons and immediate reactions
Former players and club figures who made the rivalry famous are already talking about the return. Lesley Vainikolo, now director of rugby at Wesley College near Auckland, said, “There is no way I’d miss it, ” and described the fixture as one of the biggest games of his playing days. His remark underlines the international interest in the derby’s revival.
Long-serving captain Robbie Hunter-Paul reflected on how these matches used to carry the intensity of finals, calling them “the closest thing you could get to a Grand Final” for supporters. Jamie Peacock, who captained Bradford to the 2005 title before signing for Leeds, recalled the venom such moves could provoke, noting the fierce reactions he received when crossing to the rival club.
The immediate scene around the game is one of careful emotion management. Haggerty reiterated the coaching staff’s approach of tightening focus and preparing the players to handle the charged atmosphere at Odsal, where memories of sellouts and memorable finals with stars such as Kevin Sinfield and Lesley Vainikolo still linger.
What to expect and what comes next
On the field, expect a tactical, high-intensity contest driven as much by local pride as by league positioning. The derby’s return after a 12-year hiatus means both clubs are navigating legacy and momentum: Bradford aiming to mark their top-flight comeback with a statement result, Leeds looking to consolidate their recent strong form.
Attention will now turn to kick-off and immediate aftermath at Odsal, where team form, discipline and the ability to manage emotion are likely to decide the outcome. In the days after Good Friday, the focus will be on how the result reshapes the early Super League table and whether this renewal truly restores one of the competition’s defining fixtures for players and fans alike — and whether bradford bulls can turn emotion into advantage.
