Cummins lands top job at Bradford Bulls

Cummins, who was recommended for the job by his predecessor Mick Potter after he opted to return to Australia, was unveiled this morning at a press conference at Odsal hosted by new owner Omar Khan and honorary chairman Gerry Sutcliffe.

Sutcliffe said: “We had no hesitation in taking Mick’s recommendation to offer the job to Francis and we are delighted he has accepted our offer.”

It will be Cummins’ first role as a head coach and, at 35, he will be the youngest in Super League when he takes charge of his first match in February.

Catalan Dragons’ Australian boss Trent Robinson is nine months younger but he is leaving at the end of the season to take charge of Sydney Roosters.

Cummins enjoyed a one-club career with Leeds, for whom he made 356 appearances from 1993 to 2005, and also won three caps for Great Britain.

The former Ireland international cut his coaching teeth as an assistant at Leeds before being appointed as Potter’s number two at the start of the 2010 season.

Along with Potter, Cummins worked without pay for the last three months of the season after being made redundant by the administrator amid the club`s financial problems in early July.