IT is shaping up as one of the biggest exoduses at Odsal in living memory.

Of the 2016 Bulls squad, well over 20 players will not be here next season.

Several have secured deals elsewhere and plenty of others are surplus to requirements.

Lee Gaskell, Dale Ferguson and Paul Clough have agreed moves to Huddersfield, while Mitch Clark and Danny Addy are off to Hull KR.

All five face a nervous wait to discover if the club they have agreed to join retain their Super League status in the coming weeks.

Two more key men – Adrian Purtell and Jay Pitts – are heading south to London Broncos.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the revelation this week that Matty Blythe is rejoining Warrington.

Fair play to Blythe for that, as it is a golden opportunity to reignite his career in Super League at his hometown club.

Jean-Philippe Baile and Richie Mathers have already left Odsal after injury-plagued campaigns.

Etu Uaisele and Epalahame Lauaki will head home shortly, while Danny Williams, Tom Olbison, Lucas Walshaw and Jonny Walker are also being released.

Dan Fleming has secured a move to Toronto Wolfpack and could be joined at the newly-formed League One outfit by Steve Crossley.

Rhys Lovegrove is expected to retire and could take up a player representative role at the GMB union.

The loans of Lewis Charnock and Stuart Howarth expire at the end of the season, which takes the number of players who will almost certainly not be here next season to 21.

It is a staggering turnover and does not account for the fringe players who remain under contract in 2017 but are not necessarily in Rohan Smith's plans.

Smith, whose side are at home to Oldham in tomorrow's latest Championship Shield match, said: "It's not something I'm unaccustomed to.

"At London Broncos in 2004-05, there was a massive overhaul, and then at Newcastle Knights we had a huge turnover between 2007-08.

"A lot of these decisions on players leaving Bradford weren't mine – they were done before I got here – and to some guys' credit, they have got themselves some good opportunities and financial security.

"But I'm very excited about the players we've got coming in and the guys we've already signed, such as Dane Chisholm, Kieren Moss and Joe Keyes."

The Bulls are working hard behind the scenes to significantly reduce the wage bill after spending over £1million on players during the past season.

Smith admits that some players were let go with financial considerations in mind and he will have a severely trimmed-down squad next term.

The mass exodus is not dissimilar to the end of the 2012 campaign, when the Bulls went into administration and over a dozen players jumped ship.

The players contracted for next season include Moss, Chisholm, Kris Welham, James Clare, Adam O'Brien, Adam Sidlow, Ben Kavanagh, Kurt Haggerty, Oscar Thomas, Alex Mellor, Joe Lumb, Johnny Campbell, Vila Halafihi, Ethan Ryan and Keyes.

James Bentley, Liam Kirk, Ross Oakes, Brandon Pickersgill, Josh Rickett and Brandan Wilkinson will make the step up from the academy.

Throw in Leon Pryce and three players expected to sign from London – Jon Magrin, Alex Foster and Iliess Macani – and the Bulls have around 24 on board for 2017.

But if they could not make the top four with a large and expensive squad, what hope do they have with a far smaller group?

Smith said: "Numbers-wise, we are in the early 20s and six of those guys are academy players, so it's a very youthful squad.

"Yes, we need some additions and then I feel we will have a stronger, more streamlined squad, from this year.

"We need forwards and I've had some really productive chats with players and agents, so there are some positive things in the pipeline."