Not sure if this has been posted before...From the Sporting Life..

Heath L'Estrange out for rest of season
Bradford hooker Heath L'Estrange will miss the rest of the season after being told he needs a knee operation.
Unhappy news again on the injury front.

Been an ever-present also this season. He will be missed.

Job done for the Catalans player who took him out then. He must be very proud.

At least it gives O'Brien a run in the team ready for next season so some good may come out of it as I think we are now out of the top 8 chase and already thinking about next year.

basically what todays t&a article says. Squirelled away in their is confirmation that l'estrange is staying next year, which along with FC's comments about him being fit for pre-season yesterday, is probably as official an announcement as its going to get. Similar situation to kearney where club don't think a key player staying next year is worth any sort of official announcement.

rlhttps://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/10611438.Bradford_Bulls_hooker_O_Brien_glad_to_finally_get_a_piece_of_the_action/rl

Good point but players who are under contract are expected to be staying. No announcement re Purtell, Kear, Gale, Scruton, Bateman, O'Brien etc.

Difference between those players and Kearney and l'Estrange, is that none of players you mentioned had opt out clauses in their deals for next year, whereas those two did and have been subject of speculation for months.

Bugger