Bradford Bulls snap up Super League playmaker with length of contract revealed

Championship outfit Bradford Bulls have swooped to sign James Meadows from London Broncos, handing the half-back a two-year deal.

Meadows, who is no stranger to the second tier having already made more than 80 Championship appearances, scored two tries in 17 Super League games for London this term, recording three assists in the process.

Born in Teddington, the 25-year-old returned to the Broncos ahead of 2024 following their promotion back up to the top-flight.

But with the capital club demoted back into the Championship due to IMG’s gradings system, he has now moved onto pastures new in the shape of Bradford.

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Bradford Bulls snap up Super League playmaker with length of contract revealed

The Bulls will become the sixth club that Meadows has donned a shirt for after London Skolars, Sheffield Eagles, Coventry Bears (now Midlands Hurricanes) and Batley Bulldogs as well as the aforementioned Broncos.

With 128 senior career appearances under his belt, Meadows detailed: “I’m absolutely buzzing, it’s a massive club with an incredibly rich history and I am really excited to get up there and meet the lads and be a part of the journey.

“From playing against Bradford in the past, I have seen how big the club is and how much potential there is to grow it again and to be able to play a part in that would be awesome.

“It looks like the group has done incredibly well this year, there’s a lot of positivity around that and from the bits I’ve seen, it looks like they’re playing some good rugby, really fighting hard together and the results have shown that. I am excited to see if we can kick on again.

“It has been a different year and a difficult year at times for me, but it’s been an amazing experience, and I feel like I have learnt a lot personally and as a player.

“I’ve had to develop new parts of my game that I haven’t had to work on before to play at that level that been massively beneficial to me and I am looking forward to applying that next year at a new club.”

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‘I want him to come and play with a lot of energy to help bring that experience’

Meadows’ last two seasons at Championship level, in 2022 and 2023, came with Batley. Across those two campaigns, he scored 22 of his 35 career tries to date and kicked 60 goals.

On their signing of the playmaker, Bradford boss Eamon O’Carroll added: “I think he’s got an abundance of experience which is certainly going to help us and he’s played at the top level.

“I really like his attacking qualities, I think he’s got the ability to move the ball with a really good kicking game to complement that.

“I feel he’s got a really rounded game and defensively he’s really strong, so he’s going to be a great addition to the squad.

“He’s still got huge aspirations to play in Super League, which I think is really important when you’re recruiting people and bringing them in, making sure they are on the same page as you and that they want to be on the same journey.

“He convinced me of that straight away once we had met. I want him to come and play with a lot of energy to help bring that experience.

“He’s been at London this year where they have been through a fair bit of adversity but played a really good, exciting, expanded game. I am looking forward to him bringing some leadership qualities.”

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