Round 24
Huddersfield Giants 26 d. Bradford Bulls 22

2007 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

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

Lolesi hat-trick inspires Giants to upset over Bulls
Mon August 20, 2007
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Second rower Jamahl Lolesi scored a brilliant hat-trick to keep Huddersfield Giants' play-off hopes alive in a 26-22 win over Bradford Bulls.

Australian Lolesi had already put the Giants in charge with touchdowns either side of the break when the game erupted midway through the second-half, leading to both teams having a man sent off.

Bulls star Tame Tupou got a red card on 63 minutes for punching Huddersfield's Stuart Jones in the face.

Referee Ashley Klein then sent off Giants prop Keith Mason just three minutes later after he responded to a high tackle on him by Bradford's Glenn Morrison by striking the Bulls stand off.

That incident prompted a massive brawl in which Bradford's David Solomona tried to act as peacemaker as both sets of players went for each other.

Huddersfield were already 20-16 ahead before then and Lolesi sealed the points for the hosts with a brilliant solo touchdown on 70 minutes before players from both sides were scrapping again, this time referee Klein splitting them apart.

Bradford attacked at will in the closing stages, prompted by Solomona's tireless running, but superb defensive tackles near the try line, especially from Brad Drew, kept the visitors out.

There was nearly a controversial sting in the tail as Bradford came mightily close to making a remarkable comeback during the several minutes of stoppage time added on for all the play lost to the fighting.

Bradford's Chris McKenna went over for a converted touchdown two minutes into overtime and referee Klein then nearly gifted the Bulls a stunning victory by apparently failing to hear the hooter when it eventually sounded.

Play continued with Klein apparently oblivious to the fact that the hooter had gone - with Bradford taking full advantage to go over for a winning try.

But Klein was made aware of his mistake by the touch judges and the try was disallowed with the game ending 26-22 to Huddersfield.

Report source: www.superleague.co.uk

Article: Sharp beaming with pride


Bulls Eye: Bradford v Huddersfield
Sat August 18, 2007
Source: www.bradfordbulls.co.uk

In Bulls Eye this week, Bradford head coach Steve McNamara looks forward to Sunday's engage Super League Round 24 game at the Galpharm Stadium as the Bulls take on the Huddersfield Giants.

STEVE McNAMARA
THERE ARE FOUR GAMES TO GO. HOW DO YOU ASSESS THE BULLS POSITION?
Pretty good. We are happy with where we. We'd like to get a couple of the long term injuries back but, certainly in Jamie Langley's case, that isn't going to happen but we are going OK. We have managed to win our last two games and we certainly performed better against Wakefield than we did against Hull KR and we are viewing this as round three of three. After this game we get a week off and it would be nice to finish off this set in a good manner.

I said earlier in the season that I would like us to be more consistent and if you look at the competition table at the moment that would suggest we have been. We haven't got the 'A' star players, the Superstars of the game if you like, but we have managed to manufacture ourselves into a very tough side; a side that competes very well in most games. We have trained very well all year and at the moment are continuing to do so.

EVERY TIME YOU HAVE PLAYED THE GIANTS THIS SEASON THERE HAS BEEN SOMETHING RIDING ON IT AND IT'S THE SAME THIS TIME
There is and it's the fourth time we have played them this season. Round One seems a million miles away now in the mud here at the Grattan Stadium. They turned us over in good style at the Galpharm in May and then there was the Carnegie Challenge Cup game where we managed to get on top, so they are a very tough side and they have proved that this season. They are on the edge of the Top Six and I think they will make it. Good luck to them too because they have a very good set up there.

DO YOU THINK THEY ARE PLAYING A DIFFERENT STYLE OF FOOTBALL THIS YEAR?
I think they are because they have got some different personnel in there. Players dictate how you play and that is why recruitment is very important. They have got some players who know how to express themselves but they can also be very methodical when they need to be. They have won in style but they have also ground out some victories when they have needed to this year. That's a credit to themselves and the Coaching staff and they are in there battling.

They are a very big side too this year and I think they set their stall out at the start of the year to be bigger, stronger and more powerful and they have certainly brought that to their game. It has definitely been a very physical game whenever we have played them.

SQUAD
Steve McNamara has named the same 20 man squad as last week, which lacks the suspended Joe Vagana.

The Squad is: St Hilaire, McAvoy, Halley, Feather, Henderson, Solomona, Evans, McKenna, Burgess, B Harris, Lynch, Morrison, Tupou, James, Deacon, Cook, I Harris, Newton, Hawkyard, Platt

MILESTONES
PAUL DEACON, who has kicked 110 goals from 134 attempts this season for an average of 82.09%, needs six goals for a career total of 1,000.

The scrum-half currently has kicked 994 goals including 21 drop goals. He has kicked 979 for Bradford and 15 in representative matches. He has kicked 10 goals or more in a match for Bradford on nine occasions, including a best feat of 12. He has finished as the top goal scorer in all matches in a season three times.

TERRY NEWTON needs two tries for a career century of touchdowns in club and representative matches. He has scored 6 for Leeds Rhinos, 74 for Wigan Warriors, 14 for Bradford Bulls and 4 in representative matches. He also played two matches on loan at Bramley without scoring. His 98 tries have come in 335 appearances.

News sent by: www.bradfordbulls.co.uk

Fri August 17, 2007
• Lolesi warns of Solomona threat
  

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