Joseph sees the light to earn Bradford Bulls deal (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

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From fit to fight to fighting fit as Phil Joseph hits big time at Bradford Bulls

6:10am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Bulls By Ross Heppenstall

Phil Joseph in full flow during the Bulls’ pre-season match against Dewsbury

When his road to Damascus moment arrived last year, Phil Joseph knew something had to change.

His epiphany came as he watched Huddersfield Giants, his home-town club, in a live Sky game, thinking what could have been.

Joseph, 26, a highly promising player from his early teens, had resigned himself to a life outside Super League.

After running three pubs, he took over busy Huddersfield nightspot That Bar, while playing rugby for Swinton on a part-time basis. But he was far from happy.

“Running the bar was starting to hinder my family life,” said the powerhouse forward, who ran That Bar with former Swinton team-mate Rob Foxen.

“I was coming in at 8am, having been up all night working, drinking and sometimes fighting in the bar.

One day I was sitting watching a Huddersfield game on Sky and I thought to myself ‘what am I doing?'
Phil Joseph

“I ended up having to deal with troublemakers coming because the security on the door couldn’t handle it. I was fighting everyone and I didn’t need it.

“I was drinking quite a lot too – the social side was part of the job – and then I was going out to play rugby the following day. I was struggling to get into the Swinton side; that’s how bad I was.

“I wasn’t that bothered about rugby at that point, then one day I was sitting watching a Huddersfield game on Sky and I thought to myself ‘what am I doing?’ “I’m a rugby player, that’s what I do. I’ve always thought of myself as a half-decent player and I needed to choose between rugby league and bars and pubs. After that I sold the bar and put 150 per cent into rugby league.”

Joseph, a close friend of Giants skipper Kevin Brown, was then invited to go on trial at Huddersfield, having impressed coach Nathan Brown in a game for Swinton.

He had come through the ranks at the Galpharm Stadium before spells at Swinton, Hull KR, Halifax, Oldham and Swinton again.

Joseph explained: “When I was younger I started at Leeds Rhinos and spent about eight or nine months there. Then I moved to Huddersfield, who I always wanted to play for.

“I made my debut for the Giants when I was 16. They offered me another contract but they halved my money and signed Brad Drew.

“I couldn’t afford to drop that much in wages because I had a young family by then. That’s when I started to see rugby as a hobby.

“I moved to Swinton and won young player of the year and then went to Hull KR. The fans and the club were great but I didn’t get on with (coach) Justin Morgan.

“I left Hull KR to go to Halifax. I spent a year there and had a couple of years at Oldham. But I wanted to play with my friends so I moved back to Swinton.

“I played a game for Swinton that was on Sky and Kevin was saying that Nathan Brown had seen it and was impressed, so I got asked to train with the Giants.

“Nathan wanted to offer me a contract but the directors weren’t as keen so it didn’t materialise. Nathan then rang Mick Potter at Bradford and asked if I could train with the Bulls.”

The rest, as they say, is history. Joseph has impressed everyone at Odsal during the winter, earning himself a one-year deal and catching the eye with some barnstorming performances in pre-season. He looks certain to face Catalan Dragons in Sunday’s Super League opener.

Joseph has made his girlfriend Keisha proud and, already father to seven-year-old daughter Tanaya, he has a second girl on the way.

“I’m a lot happier now in my life and I’m very proud and honoured to be at the Bulls,” he said.

“If someone had told me at this time last year that I would be in the Bradford squad for their first game of the Super League season against Catalan Dragons, I would have said ‘stop talking absolute rubbish’.

“It’s a great club and this is the biggest achievement in my life. With the massive fanbase here, Bradford are one of the biggest clubs in the world. I’m sure they can get the good times back again.”

Comments(24)

bullybullman says...
6:36am Thu 2 Feb 12

Great news looks like a real find from what ive seen ! I really enjoyed the forum last night can not wait till Sunday lets hope we get off to a flying start.