I was thinking the other day of various Northern and Bulls greats who were still doing a good job, had more to offer but called it quits, for reasons other than injury. Off the top of my head there was:

Marcus Bai - Was aging but still quality. I think he signed on for another year then changed his mind.
Karl Fairbank - Retired prematurely imo probably because Super League had just started and being full-time and a farmer isn't compatible. I'd have liked to see him as a full-timer even at 33.
Joe Vagana - Still a monster even in his final year. Broke his arm in 2008 and retired that year aged about 32. Could have still done a job
Christian Richardson - played once for Hunslet Academy and then lost to the game. Absolute talent. Became a moderator.

Who else?

Steve Mcbanana and James Lowes should have never retired from playing irrespective of their age and performance.

Stanley Gene had at least another decade left in him.

Think a few aussies could have kept on going for another season if they weren't far from home. Graeme Bradley, Brad Mackay, ...

What ever happened to Jon Scales?

One springs to mind.

Didn’t Bryn Hargreaves retire from the game fairly young about 27 or so? Although I think he was very unhappy with the state of the game at the time and landed a decent job outside of the game. At least the bulls showed him how stable a rugby league career could have been oh wait....

Didnt Lauaki retire early but just forgot to tell us all.

Sadly we've had a few like that mate. Ran on the pitch and then acted entirely retired for 80 minutes.

If only... Lauaki could barely last ten minutes before blowing out of his ass!

One who drifted away whilst I think still had a lot of potential was Dave Halley

Went playing Union with his mate Kern Yates at Broughton Park I think. Saw him playing years back at Leo's 7's in Leeds. Glad I didn't play him

I think sir Keith Mumby had a couple more years left. Tackled round the legs

Seeing the name, 'Le Penguin' reminds of another Bulls' great who left the team a little early. Mind, that was due to a certain referee who allegedly repaid a few grudges by sending him off* when we were in the driving seat at Saints in the play-off a game we sere definitely going to win. So Hail Graeme Bradley, who could easily have done an extra fifty minutes of that match and probably another play-off game.

*I base my claims on the fact he was found not guilty by the RFL committee.

How that "Sending Off" was never investigated by the RFL was an absolute disgrace.At the very least Cummings should have been charged with bringing the game into disrepute instead he ended up as head of the whole lot of em.Only in Rugby League.But yes bang on,Peng could have done another year a magnificent player for us.

You can forget every other conspiracy and hardluck story for Bradford, nothing compares to the unashamed nonsense of sending Bradley off. There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever in my mind that Penguin was sent off as an act of spite. I've been annoyed with referees plenty of times but I have never EVER seen a referee do anything bent before or after. He should have been sacked it's really as simple as that.

I think I saw an interview with him saying he made a mistake in sending Bradley off ( or did I dream it ) sky showing our magic weekend 2007 game against Leeds on Sunday

I was only really young at the time and I've heard pretty much every Bradford conspiracy and hard luck stories but I've never heard the Bradley one! What happened?

Did Andy Hodgson ever play again after that horrific leg break against PSG in 97?

By some awful coincidence, this has just been posted on the Wakey board

We are a community outreach that go on to the streets and help homeless, vulnerable or hungry people, Some insight into the amazing career of Andy Hodgson
..now desperate for an electric scooter or wheelchair..and some compression socks..or flight socks..sadly living on the streets of Leeds in a wheelchair..struggling now with his hands..so wrong after giving so much pleasure on the rugby fields across Yorkshire...we can do this..surely xxx Andy lost his career to a injury to his back whilst playing rugby league..he was downsized to play amateur but was on a massively reduced wage..shortly after Andy sadly had a motorbike accident..that left him in a wheelchair..operation after operation..9 in total to try to save his hip..living with a cliae friend who helped to nurse him..andy was happy to just of survived...
Sadly Andy came and Epilepsy had taken his friend from the world ..leaving Andy in the incapable hands of the council january this year..Andy turned his friends life support of .7.1.2020..and has been on the streets since...whilst in the wheelchair..Andy had suffered another accident..trapping his left hand in the wheel of his chair..causing amputation of 1 finger taken of by the wheel..and further fingers crushed..that are waiting to be amputated..hence the reason for an electric wheelchair...Our Jane has now offered two hands of hope..1 to try and house Andy and the other to raise funds for a new chair..this is a man..never taken a drink..gave pleasure to thousands on the field..yet is on our streets...sick to death of these stories..and people judging the homeless...this guy is a Legend and deserves to be king of his own adapted castle and not king of the streets...kets all say a prayer that Helping Hands and His Hand of Hope can sort this out..already got wheels in motion thanks to his Hand of Hope..xxx

Blimey, I feel we should be able to do something to support?

I’ve found this if anyone is interested https://www.gofundme.com/f/andy-hodgson ... fundraiser

I’ve found this if anyone is interested https://www.gofundme.com/f/andy-hodgson ... fundraiser

What a sad story.

And purely coincidental that i should ask about him.

What they've written about him isn't the easiest thing to follow but he did play on after breaking his leg, about 18 times for Trin and then back to Wharfedale (vast majority of his career is Union, just a handful of League really). Then after a car accident his life has taken an awful turn for the worst.

So so sad. On what should have been one of the best nights of a young blokes life, that shocking injury seemes to have been followed by terrible misfortune.

I wonder if both the Bulls and Wakey are aware? You would think they would want to do something to raise awareness and help him out.

I'm not been awful for the sake of it but the fundraising page is absolute gibberish. If someone could set out the lads pedigree in both codes and his plight afterwards surely the Rugby community will step up and help. I like to think we would.

The gofundme page is no longer there. I remember him being super pacy and thinking he had something special, and I remember the tannoy announcement that he'd been taken to hospital and would like his mum to join him. I was sad that he never made it back to playing first team at Bradford, but I am absolutely gutted to hear what has happened subsequently. If anyone has a link to an up to date gofundme or anything similar, please do share it here or PM me.

I donated £10 but got given a refund a few days later. No reason given