Franklin Pele, contracted to Bradford Bulls until 30th November 2025, has informed the club that he no longer wishes to represent it, after negotiating another 2025 contract elsewhere, without the knowledge of Bradford Bulls.

It is our understanding that he is joining an unnamed 3rd tier French Rugby Union club.
A club spokesperson said: 
“No Bradford Bulls player, nor individual ever has been or ever will be bigger than the club itself. Any contracted player must fully be committed to representing the club, its’ badge and its’ supporters.
Franklin Pele has, therefore, played his last match for our club.
The player’s sudden departure allows talented players within our existing squad, who do want to play for us, an opportunity to further impress and secure a regular place in our matchday 17. It also allows the club to look elsewhere to see if there are any players of the required standard contractually available to add competition and further depth to our existing, exciting squad.” 
The club is considering its’ legal position and will be making no further comment at this stage, as we focus fully on a huge on-field week for the club, its’ players and fans.”

Clearly don't want to be here. Club have done right thing.
Disgraceful actions from Pele

Very disappointing ......Anyone know where he's going/gone?

Don't know anything apart from what's in the statement.  He's certainly kept all this quiet - apparently was posing for photos with Joe Vagana up at the club earlier this week.  Now he's done one.   Pretty shabby.


3rd division French rugby union isn't my strong point.    Expect he'll be at Bradford Salem in a year or two.  


Makes you wonder if that calf injury he had was the real thing.   Still, it definitely creates a chance for Mason and Bayliss and perhaps even Jamie Gill to get more 1st team rugby.    

Its definitely an opportunity for someone to step up and Mason and Baylis looked pretty solid on their last outings.... Hopefully this is the kind of incident that galvanises the team

That’s just crazy, completely out of left field. 
Well, the next props, from academy are Gill, Leake and this new kid, Bates? 


Gill has had a few chances and hasn’t really impressed. The other 2 stand out at academy level, and reserves to be fair, but is likely a year too soon

As a player, it is a blow to lose him from the squad as he has played well in RAB for the most part. 

Turns out his character is poor however, so wherever he goes will have that to look to deal with. We are strong in the pack though so I don't think it significantly weakens us. Hopefully his salary might be used to strengthen in the backline.

Pele obviously arrived at yours via my club (Fc). He was binned out of Fc after allegedly being fat and lazy in training, although to cut him some slack he was only one of around two dozen players at Hull Fc (2024) for whom those charges could be levelled at!! including most of the coaching staff, hence the season from hell we had to endure last year!


I do think there is a potentially decent player in there somewhere, but he clearly has an attitude problem to address if he were to fulfil any sort of potential. I think you're probably best off rid here, even if the circumstances surrounding his exit stinks a little.

And after a bit of a rocks and diamonds start he looked a much better player this year. Obviously most of us don't know what players are like away from gameday and attitude in training etc but the tone of the Bulls statement would suggest some shock and annoyance with his recent behaviour.

But luckily we have other props now taking their chances and a semi final next weekend to play in which I expect to be an absolute humdinger - quite likely to be a tougher game than the final for whoever makes it. 


The dream would be get Doro back in for an extended period to keep the competition for places high but that might well just have to remain a dream for now.