RAW emotion dripped from Jay Pitts when he left Odsal as a Bradford player for the last time.

Having helped the team to victory over Sheffield Eagles in the Championship Shield final, the realisation dawned on the 26-year-old second-rower that it was now all over.

Two and a half years of blood, sweat and tears for a club he gradually took to his heart.

Pitts grew up in Ossett as a Leeds supporter and went on to represent the Rhinos either side of spells at Wakefield and Hull FC.

But it was at Bradford where he truly felt at home and rediscovered his love of the game after falling down the pecking order at Hull.

He has joined London Broncos on a two-year deal but saying farewell to the Bulls clearly tugged on every one of his heartstrings.

Struggling to hold back the tears, he said: “I’m excited for the new chapter but obviously a bit emotional to be leaving Bradford.

“This is where I’ve been playing week in and week out and I’ve loved every single minute of it.

“I wouldn’t change a single thing because it has made me a better person and a better bloke.

“It’s the people that I’ve done it with as well – we’ve been so tight as a group – but it is what it is.

“I’ve done my best for Bradford and thank all the fans for their support and wish them all the best.

“It has been a massive honour to represent this famous club.”

Do not underestimate the quality of service that Pitts has given to the club during his time at Odsal.

Arriving on loan from Hull with Joe Arundel in April 2014, Pitts proved one of the Bulls’ better performers during a disastrous campaign.

Francis Cummins had signed the pair but was sacked two months later, with Jimmy Lowes taking his place.

The Bulls’ relegation was soon confirmed but Pitts was at the heart of three successive and, indeed, memorable victories over Wigan, Leeds and Hull.

That Pitts was on the scoresheet and Arundel bagged a brace in a 34-28 home win over their parent club seemed apt.

Pitts signed for Bradford permanently at the end of that season and was a major figure during the 2015 campaign, making more appearances than any other player (33) and scoring 11 tries.

The Bulls lost the Million Pound Game but Pitts was a picture of consistency with his assiduous work-rate and ability to create and score tries.

In 2016, he made 32 appearances and crossed the whitewash 14 times, underlying his value to the team.

When the Bulls’ fate was sealed with a dismal defeat at Featherstone, nobody looked more devastated than Pitts.

Reflecting on his final season at Bradford and the failure to reach the top four, Pitts said: “We weren’t anywhere near consistent enough, were we?

“At the end of the day, that inconsistency is why we ended up playing Featherstone for a place in the top four.

“We were at home to Dewsbury and lost in the last two minutes.

“Halifax at home – another defeat. We went up to Workington and lost.

“If you look at sides like Leigh, they ground out wins.

“They gave themselves the chance to be in the middle eights and that’s all we needed to do.

“We perhaps didn’t take teams as seriously as we should have done.

“The difference between the good teams and the bad teams is that they starve them of the ball.

“They are consistent and relentless with it but we have not been relentless this year.

“We have been good and bad in patches. Every time we played Leigh, though, it was decided by a late try.

“That hasn’t been the problem – it’s the smaller teams we struggled to overcome.”

Pitts, who played his amateur rugby at Shaw Cross and also coached the Dewsbury club for many years, is passionate about developing youngsters.

He has helped Leigh Beattie coach the Bulls’ under-16s and, along with Arundel, has coached kids at the Elite Rugby Academy, which was formed in 2012 by former Castleford players Ryan Hudson and Danny Orr.

But as one tumultuous chapter in his life closes, another one opens.

Pitts is now looking forward to moving to the capital and playing for Andrew Henderson’s side, who finished second in this year’s Championship.

He will be joined there by Adrian Purtell and said: “I’m looking forward to the new challenge and it’s going to be completely different.

“I’ve lived around my mum and dad all my time playing rugby but I think this is something I need.

"It’s something new, something fresh, and I’m going to be moving down with my girlfriend.

“I’ll be playing second row, where I believe I’m better than loose forward, although I like to play in the middle as well.

“I’ve just got to consistently play well and then hopefully London will end up in a strong position again.

“Without being disrespectful, they haven’t spent a lot of money and yet their recruitment this year was still very good.

“I think Hendo has done really well to sign the players he has for next year. I can see us doing well.”