Bradford Bulls’ NRL signing Ryan Sutton has admitted that he’s got a point to prove after returning to Super League for the first time since 2018.
Sutton’s last game in the competition was the 2018 Grand Final when Wigan Warriors defeated Warrington Wolves with the forward then joining Canberra Raiders, where he would spend the next four seasons.
After 75 appearances in four years, Sutton joined Canterbury Bulldogs but injuries limited him to just 13 NRL appearances with a further seven coming in the New South Wales and Queensland Cup.
For some, that injury record makes the 30-year-old’s move to Bradford a gamble but he’s confirmed to BBC Radio Leeds that he is fully fit, having got over a recent bicep injury, before admitting that he does feel he has a point to prove in Super League.
“Definitely, I think it’s a point of ‘I can still do it’,” he admitted, adding: “I’m not actually that old but I think sometimes when I’m training the body feels a bit older, but I’m actually probably in a really good space, head space and body space.
“I came into training the other day with a massive smile on my face and it finally felt like I got the fire in the belly again.”
Bradford Bulls man aiming to “get back on top” after injury-affected spell
With Sutton fully fit and in his ‘good space’, Bradford could have one hell of a player on their hands given his pedigree in both Super League and the NRL.
Before making the move down under, the forward racked up over 100 Super League appearances and made a total of 118 games during his time with Wigan Warriors.
He’d add 88 NRL games to his record but he conceded that he didn’t get everything he wanted to out of the spell, citing his recent injuries as the main reason for that.
Sutton responded: “No, I don’t think so. I think the last two or three years have been the big thing that has been a bit upsetting for me in regards to injuries and stuff. Touch wood, my whole life I’ve not had too many serious injuries and the last one got me pretty good, so I think that’s what’s hurting the most.
“The big leading factor in coming back to England is to play in a top league competition and get back on top and that’s what I want to do.”
He can look back on his time in the NRL with fondness though, explaining: “I’ve gone over there and I’ve had seven seasons over there and played a lot of rugby, but generally I don’t think there’s a lot of English players that have done that.
“It’s something I can be very happy with because I know there was a lot of critique when I went over there. No-one really knew who I was and didn’t really know the kind of player I was. It’s definitely something that, looking back on now, it’s a big achievement in my life.”
Check out the latest episode of The Serious About Rugby League Show on our YouTube channel here.
