Bradford Bulls man lands Super League accolade despite wooden spoon finish

Bradford Bulls talisman Joe Mellor has capped off a tireless individual campaign by finishing the regular season as Super League’s top tackler, with teammate Andy Ackers joining him at the summit.

In what proved to be a grueling return to the top flight that ended with the Bulls finishing bottom of the table, Mellor’s individual work rate stood out week in, week out. Tasked with holding the defensive middle together, the former Salford man produced astronomical tackling figures across all 27 rounds.

Mellor ended the year as the clear number one and the only player in the 2026 Super League season to break the four-figure barrier, wrapping up 1,075 tackles, which over his 23 games, stands at a staggering average of 46.74 per game.

To underline the sheer volume of defensive work required at Odsal this year, fellow recruit Andy Ackers finished as the nearest challenger to his skipper with 987 tackles.

2026 Super League Top Tacklers

Joe Mellor (Bradford Bulls) – 1,075 tackles (46.74 per game)
Andy Ackers (Bradford Bulls) – 987 tackles (39.48 per game)
Tyson Smoothy (Wakefield Trinity) – 982 tackles (37.77 per game)

Mellor, who operated predominantly as a half-back or hooker earlier in his career, saw his workload skyrocket following his transition into loose forward. He established a comfortable lead early in the year, highlighted by a mammoth 69-tackle effort against Leeds Rhinos in Round 7, and maintained his relentless pace right through to the final weekend.

With Ackers anchoring the ruck with 987 hits and Wakefield’s Tyson Smoothy rounding out the top three on 982, the Odsal side boasted the two most industrious defenders in the entire competition. While the campaign ultimately ended in wooden spoon heartbreak, neither Mellor nor Ackers could be faulted for their effort in the middle.

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