JAMES Bentley has to pinch himself over how dramatically he has burst onto the Championship scene.

The teenager is only a couple of months into his first season as a fully-fledged professional.

But Bulls skipper Leon Pryce has already described him as the best player in the competition by an “absolute mile.”

Bentley grabbed the headlines on Sunday with a four-try salvo in the 48-16 win over Sheffield that lifted the Bulls to minus two.

And the teenager admits it was an occasion when everything he touched seemed to turn to gold.

He said: “It was one of those games when the tries just kept on coming. I got one, then another, then another, then again.

“The win was the main thing but to get four tries was surreal. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before.

“It was unbelievable but I’m really happy with how I’m going.”

Bentley played his amateur rugby with Oulton Raiders in Leeds and grew up as a Rhinos fan.

“I supported Leeds so it’s a bit of a weird one that I’m now here playing for Bradford,” he added.

“There were a couple of other clubs interested in me, Wakefield and Featherstone at the time.

“Fev offered me a scholarship but I just thought that the Bulls option was the best one for me and signed.

“I just liked the aura around the place. They were friendly people and the atmosphere felt right.”

Bentley is another product of the class of 2015 having signed alongside Ross Oakes and Brandan Wilkinson.

The major plus of the scenario Bradford have found themselves in is the necessity to blood young talent. The rookies have had to grow up fast – and have not been found wanting.

Bentley could have been lining up for the under-19s against Newcastle on Saturday. Instead he will be thrown into the fury of West Yorkshire derby combat against Halifax on Good Friday.

He added: “I was expecting in my first year full time to maybe get a couple of minutes off the bench. But with the way things went, I’ve been thrown in the deep end and really enjoying it.

“It obviously helps playing with the other young lads because we already know how each other players. That makes it easier.

“Then you’ve got lads like Prycey, Scotty Moore and Smithy (Lee Smith), who are leaders round the pitch.

“They make the right decisions at the right time and every day you learn little things off them.

“You are playing against big, grown men and you take a few whacks at times. But you’ve just got to get on with it.

“I’m always learning and it’s getting better and better each week.”

Bentley admits the grand comments from Pryce took him completely by surprise.

“It’s surreal when somebody says that. I’m just a young lad doing what I love to do and that’s play rugby.

“As a big Leeds fan, I always loved players like Kevin Sinfield and Danny McGuire but Leon is another legend. Playing alongside him is brilliant.”

The teenager has now turned his attention to getting back to level pegging and knocking off the final two minus points. He is convinced the Bulls will stay up.

“Definitely,” he said. “It’s a big thing putting all the deficit behind us and then we can kick on.

“We want to keep climbing the ladder, get out the relegation spots and take it from there.”