Joe Bullock on his move to Warrington Wolves

The prop’s move to Warrington Wolves – an open secret for much of the season – was confirmed on Tuesday, with the 28-year-old penning a three-year deal.

Now, he is focused on earning his place in the team when pre-season begins.

Bullock is the fifth confirmed signing to be brought in by Powell ahead of his first season at The Halliwell Jones Stadium as he joins Oliver Holmes, Peter Mata’utia, James Harrison and Greg Minikin as new additions.

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Having worked under Adrian Lam for the past three seasons at Wigan Warriors, he is looking forward to seeing what a new voice does for his career.

“Speaking to Daryl Powell and Karl Fitzpatrick, they’ve seen something in me that they think will add a lot to the team,” he told the Guardian.

“Daryl’s done some great things at Castleford and he’s got a good record of making players better.

“There’s been a few who have won Man of Steel under his coaching so I’m confident he can bring another level out in me.

“I think I can achieve my personal goals under him and I’m excited to work with him.

“The contract was signed a while ago but we all wanted to just focus on our own seasons and what we wanted to achieve.

“We let it sit until now but it’s good to finally get it out there.

“I’m looking forward to getting into pre-season now. I’ll work hard to get myself into that team and find a role for myself.”

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Bullock’s signing comes as a boost to The Wire’s front-row reserves, which have been hit by the departures of Chris Hill and Sitaleki Akauola.

The exit of Hill – a cornerstone of the Warrington pack for a decade – to Huddersfield Giants will be particularly keenly felt and Bullock insists he alone cannot replace him.

“I don’t think any one player can replace Chris Hill given what he’s done here. He’s had a superb career,” he said.

“Making sure his absence isn’t felt is up to me, the other props that are already here and any players who may come in.

“He was a great player for this club and when my three years are up, if I’ve achieved even part of what he did I will be happy.”

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A product of the Blackpool Scorpions amateur club, Bullock was a relatively late arrival on the Super League stage.

Having been released by Wigan’s academy, he burst onto the scene with Barrow Raiders in the Championship before rejoining the Warriors in 2019.

He was part of the Wigan side that lost the 2020 Super League Grand Final to St Helens, but he feels he is in the right place to win silverware.

“Obviously, it was a bit of an adjustment coming up from the Championship but I don’t see myself as a Championship player anymore,” he said.

“I believe I’m a Super League player having played 60-odd games. Still though, you always feel you’ve got something to prove.

“Now, I want to take that next step and win something.

“Having come close with Wigan last year, I’m determined to take that final step and I feel it can be done here.”