More than two years after he last sported the red, amber and black, Joe Vagana’s presence still looms large at Odsal.

Although his absence has been sorely felt on the pitch, off it the giant prop is still doing his bit to bolster the Bulls’ chances of Super League success.

In fact, if the club are looking for someone to thank following the arrival of their latest Kiwi star, they need look no further than Big Joe. When the former New Zealand international began waxing lyrical about Bradford, Patrick Ah Van was only too happy to listen.

“I know Joe Vagana from back home and he told me to come here,” said Ah Van, an off-season signing from New Zealand Warriors.

“He said the club was good and would treat me good, so that was one of the main reasons why I came here.

“I’ve got big footsteps to follow in so I’m just going to have to do my best. I’m just trying to come here and make my mark on Super League.”

In Vagana’s case, the term ‘big footsteps’ is an understatement. A towering figure in every sense of the word, he remains central to a proud Kiwi tradition at the Bulls, one that has also seen Lesley Vainikolo, Shontayne Hape and the Paul brothers grace Odsal in the recent past.

But the humble, laid-back Ah Van does not feel burdened by expectation – the decision to swap Auckland for Bradford was about him, not anyone else.

It is a chance to finally crack first-grade football after finding opportunities limited with the Warriors. Handed his NRL debut at the age of 18, the utility back went on to score 16 tries in 54 appearances for the club, yet enjoyed just a single outing last season.

Most of the campaign was spent playing for New South Wales Cup side Auckland Vulcans, making 22-year-old Ah Van more determined than ever to prove he can hack it at the top level.

“It’s a really big opportunity, just to come over here and try to make a name for myself,” he said.

“It was hard to leave and I had a few nerves when I was coming over but it’s not been too bad. My family’s been pretty encouraging and they’ve told me not to come home. They want me to do good, so if they don’t see me for a while it means I have!

“I’ve got a little daughter who’s just turned one. I miss her every day but as soon as I get my Skype working and call her on that, I’ll be able to talk to her all the time.”

Leaving home comforts behind has proved the toughest test, yet Ah Van knows it is a necessary sacrifice.

Born and raised in Auckland, the decision to uproot was not taken lightly, although his transition has been eased by the sense he has swapped one family for another.

He said: “It’s been really good. All the boys have been nice to me and it’s like a family around here. It feels just like home.

“You get a warm welcome not just from the boys but from the coaching staff and all the people in the offices as well. For a guy like me coming over here, it’s a big move, so it helps heaps.

“It was hard to leave the Warriors too. I got tight with all those boys over there, so it was pretty hard to leave them, but all the boys here have already accepted me for who I am. It’s pretty much the same here – it’s like a brotherhood.”