Bradford Bulls talent AJ Wallace glad to have won spot back

The 20-year-old was in the matchday squad for the first 11 fixtures of the Betfred Championship season, but after starting Lee Greenwood and Brian Noble’s first game in interim charge, he was absent for five consecutive matches.

But Bodene Thompson’s departure back to New Zealand has left some space in the back row for Wallace to slot in, and his spectacular try at Whitehaven last Sunday was just reward for a solid performance, on what was his third start in a row.

Reflecting on being dropped, Wallace said: “Especially when Bodene was here, there was a lot of competition for my position.

“If you’re not performing, then you’re going to have to come out, and I came out.

“The team were winning too, so the only thing I could do was keep training and when my opportunity came, take it with two hands.

“I feel like I did that on my return against Keighley, I got two tries and man of the match.

“Widnes and the first half against Whitehaven were poor performances from all of us boys, but we all stepped it up in the second half and won that 34-0.

“I’d like to feel that I’ve kept my position and I’ve been training hard for that, so hopefully I’ll have a lot more appearances to come for the rest of the season.”

The dedication Wallace showed to score that try in Cumbria, as he somehow got his fingertips to the ball by hurling himself at it when it was millimetres from going out of play, would have certainly impressed Greenwood and Noble.

The youngster said: “It’s been a big focus for us to keep the kick pressure on and I was trying to get us a repeat set of tackles in.

“But their lad left the ball and I was able to ground it.

“I was speaking to the photographer and I was hoping he’d got a good picture of it, but apparently the ball boy got in the way, which was a shame.”

AJ Wallace (centre) celebrates after his try, with the action shot sadly missing due to ballboy interference... (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Wallace may be a Jamaican international who has played at the World Cup, and someone who is on the move to Super League with Hull KR from 2024, but he admits he still has to pinch himself with the company he is keeping at Bulls.

He said: “I’ve been on the left-hand side a lot, playing and training next to Dec (Patton). He obviously smashed it in his early years, being in a Grand Final and being in Super League.

“I learnt loads from him, even if he was screaming at me, and now I’m playing next to Lee Gaskell, so it’s one experienced player to another.

“I’m taking as much as I can from them, and I’ve learnt loads from Gasky even though he’s only been here a month.

“When I was growing up, I was watching Dec in the Grand Final, Michael Lawrence at Huddersfield, so sometimes I have to take a step back and say ‘wow’.

AJ Wallace admits it is incredible to be playing alongside Michael Lawrence, but knows he has to put his admiration to one side in training and on game day. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

“But you’ve got to keep your composure, because ultimately, Michael’s my team-mate now, so I’ve just got to train with him and do my job.”

Wallace is keeping his composure at the club too, despite knowing he is leaving for Rovers soon.

Asked if his transfer was a distraction, he said: “Not at all.

“It is a big thing, and I understand if people think it’s going to get in the way.

“But my full focus is with Bradford, and everyone’s aim, including mine, is to bring the club into Super League.”

Bulls are not in action again until they host Barrow on Monday, July 31, with Wallace saying: “We’ve now got six sessions before Barrow to put together two good performances.

“Ever since Toulouse, it’s been a good performance, then a poor one.

“Whitehaven was a half-good performance, so now we’ve got six sessions to try and ready ourselves for a full 80-minute performance.”