Bradford new boy Glenn Hall admits former Manly team-mate Steve Menzies helped convince him to move to England.
Forward plotting a return to the play-offs in first season with club
Bradford new boy Glenn Hall admits former Manly team-mate Steve Menzies helped make up his mind to leave the NRL and join the Bulls.
The Australian is getting ready to embark on his first season in Super League alongside two other ex-Sea Eagles - scrum-half Matt Orford and hooker Heath L'Estrange.
With Menzies already established with the Bulls having joined last year, this season will see something of a Manly reunion in West Yorkshire.
Hall got the chance to see and hear what life was like at Bradford through his links with the man known as 'Beaver', who has signed a new deal for 2010.
Only one
"Bradford was the only one and 'Beaver' helped me make my decision," he told
skysports.com about his move to England.
"He played a massive part in me coming, the way he spoke about the club and then we met a couple of times and I got on pretty well with him.
"When we came here last year with the World Club Challenge with Manly we did a promotion with Bradford because Steve was here. We got to check the ground out and meet a couple of the boys that night, so I saw a little bit of Bradford.
"Obviously with what then Steve told me and with speaking to Steve McNamara, it pushed me over the line."
He added: "I knew Heath (L'Estrange) was talking to Bradford but I didn't know how it was going. Luckily enough I've played with Brett Kearney (another signing from Down Under) as well, and then Ox (Matt Orford) signed up."
Hall, who can play either at prop or in the second row, has joined a Bulls side he believes, will still be smarting from missing out on the play-offs last year.
Grand aims
McNamara's squad ended up finishing in ninth spot, a disappointing result for a club that have won the Grand Final three times in the Super League era.
"It should be your aim for every year, but you would think that the boys that were here last year would have that bit of fire in their belly with not making it," Hall said.
"The Bulls are usually one of the top eight sides, so I'm sure a bit of pride was stung with those boys last year and they will want to rectify that this time around.
"It's a totally different game when you play semi-final football. The thing at this point of the year is that we've done all our work in training, now it's just about taking that out onto the field."
