Leon Pryce excelled for club and country at the end of last season

Pryce has signed for St Helens, joining Jamie Peacock, Robbie Paul, Stuart Rearson, Rob Parker and Lee Radford in leaving Odsal during the close season.

But Pryce says he is still fond of the Bulls and denies they will struggle.

"Anybody who writes Bradford off are stupid. They always they prove people wrong," said the 24-year-old.

"Leeds are going to be the favourites and I think Bradford, Warrington and Wigan will be the top teams along with ourselves.

I needed a new challenge, a new coach and new players to bring the best out of me St Helens back Leon Pryce

"Of course I have a soft spot for them. I still live in Bradford, I played there for eight years and I'm from Bradford.

"I can never get away from it because I'm there every day. I hope they do well but I hope we do better at Saints."

As well as Pryce moving to Knowsley Road, Peacock left for Leeds, Paul joined Huddersfield, Rearson and Parker both went to Warrington while Radford returned to Hull.

The injured Karl Pratt also decided to hang up his boots.

Pryce admits that leaving the Bulls was hard and dismisses the rumour that he left because he was not the first-choice stand-off.

The number-six shirt was given to Iestyn Harris and Pryce had to settle for a variety of positions in the backs, playing at full-back, centre and on the wing.

"I would have been happy to stay at Bradford in the circumstances I was in, knowing that Iestyn was playing stand-off," added the Great Britain international.

"I could have stayed there for another two years. It was no problem for me.

"The problem was that I wanted to move to improve as a player and I don't think I could have done that any more at Bradford.

"I needed a new challenge, a new coach and new players to bring the best out of me.

"It was a pretty tough decision at first when I was thinking about signing but when I knew the people that were going, it made it a lot easier."