Round 22
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 20 l. Bradford Bulls 42

2006 English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: English Super League

Bulls add to Wildcats woes
Sun July 23, 2006
Source: www.bradfordbulls.co.uk

Karl Pryce and Jamie Langley scored two tries apiece as engage Super League champions Bradford Bulls beat the struggling Wildcat's 20 points to 42 at the Atlantic Solutions Stadium, Wakefield.

The Bulls punished a tentative first half display from Wakefield, who are in grave danger of relegation and who parted company with coach Tony Smith last weekend.

Smith left the club after last Sunday's defeat at Huddersfield in which the Wildcats let slip a 20-point lead after the break to lose 26-20.

Against Bradford they carried on in the same vein until the game was already beyond them, although they did score four tries after bursting into life on the stroke of half time and briefly threatened a fightback.

But the Bulls' class shone through and they killed off the home side's revival with the try of the match from Shontayne Hape with 10 minutes remaining.

It took seven minutes for the visitors to register their first points when Paul Deacon moved the ball out to Terry Newton who fed it wide for Pryce to score all too easily in the corner.

Deacon added the extras for a 6-0 lead and put two more points on the board four minutes later with a penalty from in front of the posts.

Wakefield defended stoutly for a while but they were always on the back foot and when they conceded three successive sets of six deep in their own territory Bradford wore them down.

Langley was the beneficiary after good work out wide by Hape. He found Deacon, who delayed his pass to perfection to send Langley in for a superb try.

Once again Deacon's kicking was spot on and the Bulls did not have to wait long for a third try as Iestyn Harris kicked high enabling Marcus Bai, whilst putting Jason Demetriou under pressure, to knock the ball back to Pryce who nicked in for his second.

Bradford scored their fourth try after half an hour, although there was a strong suspicion of a forward pass from Newton in the build-up.

Wakefield protested but they will have to look at their own poor defending as Lesley Vainikolo was allowed to beat two men to Hape's hopeful kick to touch down in the corner.

Deacon's fourth successful kick put the Bulls 24-0 ahead but Wakefield struck back just before half time.

Demetriou's 40-yard charge led to a penalty from which Ryan Atkins forced his way over for a try against his former club.

Jamie Rooney should have added the extras from just left of centre, but his wayward kick was a sign of the pressure the Wildcats are under.

Straight after the interval Wakefield were in again and once more it was Atkins who crossed, collecting David Solomona's clever kick to score. Again, though, Rooney failed to convert.

Bradford stretched their lead to 20 points when Deacon kicked through and, after Harris failed to gather, Langley touched down. Deacon's kick made it 30-8.

Wakefield can be praised for the spirit they showed in the second half but they made too many mistakes, with Solomona's handling error proving costly when he spilled another high kick from Harris and allowed Ian Henderson the simplest of tries.

Deacon's sixth goal from seven attempts put the Bulls firmly in command before the Wildcats hit back with two tries from Rooney in as many minutes.

Sam Obst created the first with a splendid dummy before Rooney profitted again after a push in the Bradford scrum. Rooney converted both to pull his side back to 20-36.

The Wildcats had the bit between their teeth but Bradford killed them off with a magnificent breakaway try.

Harris was under pressure on the sixth tackle in front of his own posts, yet he fed the ball to Newton who sparked a flowing move involving Deacon and Vainikolo, who unselfishly played in Hape to finish off.

Deacon's kick added the extras and set the seal on a good night's work for Steve McNamara's side.

Report source: www.bradfordbulls.co.uk

Article: Gaffer's Notes

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