Loyal Langley may have to sort future away from Bulls

BRADFORD Bulls loose forward Jamie Langley says he has had some “really strong offers” from rival Super League clubs, but still harbours hope of staying at Odsal.

The ex-England international has played nearly 250 Super League games for the West Yorkshire club since emerging from their academy and is the only surviving member of their last Grand Final winning team in 2005.

However, with his current contract due to expire at the end of the season, head coach Francis Cummins has not offered one of Bradford’s higher earners a new deal.

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Langley, 29, told the Yorkshire Post: “There was a press release from the club that I’d not been offered a contract as yet.

“We have been negotiating a little bit but the club has given me permission to speak to other clubs.

“I’ve been doing that and there’s some really strong offers.

“Obviously, I always made it clear I wanted to stray at Bradford all my career and it’d be very disappointing if I was to leave.

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“But I’ve got to look on the positives and they are that I still feel good and I’ve been playing well.

“I’ll focus on that and look forward to what the next chapter brings.”

Langley – who has shown his versatility this term by operating as an auxiliary prop – returned from injury to help end the club’s six-game losing run against Hull FC on Friday.

His former coach Brian Noble, who led Bradford to that Grand Final win over Leeds eight years ago, is sure to be interested in bringing Langley to ambitious Salford City Reds, who are continuing their recruitment drive for 2014.

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However, Langley’s hometown Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Hull KR and Catalan Dragons are all in the market for a forward of his ilk.

When asked whether Bradford may come back in with their own offer, he added: “I don’t know.

“Anything can happen. We’ll be open to negotiations and always have been.

“It depends on what comes back from the club’s side but I just want to concentrate on finishing the year strongly.”

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As a club, Bradford can also aim to do that now following Friday’s gritty 19-12 win earned when Luke Gale slotted a 74th-minute drop goal before Matt Diskin crashed over in the final seconds.

It leaves them just two points adrift of Hull in eighth spot and, so, reignited their hopes of reaching the play-offs for the first time since 2008.

“We were always confident,” said Langley. “It was tough coming out of our own end in that second half and we were under the cosh for about 30 minutes as Hull made it hard.

“But we just did enough when it mattered most and there is a chance of getting there (play-offs.”

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“A few things have not gone our way over the last eight weeks but realistically we are still on course.

“We’ve got five games to go now and we have to knock a few off but that Hull win was a big boost psychologically and in terms of the table.”