Round 17
St Helens 58 d. Bradford Bulls 20

2008 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

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

Saints hammer hapless Bulls
Sat June 14, 2008
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Leon Pryce produced a moment of second-half brilliance to send St Helens on their way to a 58-20 victory -their 10th successive win - and heap more misery on his hometown club Bradford Bulls.

The 6ft 4in Great Britain international, 26, quit the Bulls at the end of 2005 and joined Saints in pursuit of silverware and a regular starting berth at stand-off.

He has achieved both in spades and provided his erstwhile employers with a reminder of his awesome ability in the 52nd minute when a combination of searing pace and clever footwork took him past a clutch of bewildered Bradford defenders and created the space to send Jon Wilkin racing clear from 35 metres.

It was Wilkin's second and Saints' fifth score of the game and gave them breathing space against a Bulls outfit fighting desperately under the weight of a crippling injury list.

From there Saints did not look back and five further scores were added by hat-trick hero Bryn Hargreaves, James Roby and Pryce to take the hosts' try tally to 10.

Bradford arrived on Merseyside without the services of eight first-team regulars and in the midst of a dismal run of form which saw them lose their previous three outings.

Steve McNamara's men competed gamely, however, in the first half in particular, and two early tries from winger Semi Tadulala and centre Paul Sykes put them 8-0 ahead.

They opened the scoring after seven minutes when Iestyn Harris fed Ben Jeffries, who in turn found Shontayne Hape and the Kiwi's neat short offload ushered Tadulala over the line in the left corner.

Harris could not convert from a difficult angle but six minutes later the Bulls again breached St Helens' line when Sykes burst through a gaping hole to touch down for a try he failed to convert.

Saints came back strongly in the 18th minute when Maurie Fa'asavalu crashed over the line and Sean Long added the extras for the first of his nine conversions.

Harris then bustled his way over in similar fashion for Bradford but well-taken scores from Wilkin, Ste Tyrer and James Graham in the space of 10 minutes put Saints in control at the break.

First Wilkin showed admirable pace to weave his way through the visiting defence and five minutes later Paul Sculthorpe sent Tyrer over in the right corner after Long's bomb caused panic in the Bradford backline.

Saints' dominance continued as half-time approached and Graham produced a powerful hand-off to create the space to cross the line from close range.

Long converted three of his side's four first-half tries to establish a 22-14 interval advantage.

In the 52nd minute the game was well and truly up for Bradford after Pryce sold James Evans an outrageous dummy and raced clear before sending Wilkin clear from 35 metres to claim his second.

The Bulls hit back two minutes later when Jeffries found space down the right flank and sent Dave Halley over in a corner for a try which Sykes converted.

Yet again, though, Saints hit back and on the hour mark Keiron Cunningham's delightful offload sent Hargreaves under the posts from close range.

Hargreaves quickly claimed his second and then Roby and Pryce both had routine scores to pile the misery on Bradford, who were made to pay for the loss of second row forward Simon Finnigan to the sinbin.

Hargreaves had the final say with another close-range score to complete his treble and Long converted for his ninth goal.

Report Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Article: Pryce earns Anderson plaudits


Bulls Eye: Bradford v St Helens
Thu June 12, 2008
Source: www.bradfordbulls.co.uk

In this week's Bulls Eye, Bradford Coach Steve McNamara looks ahead to tomorrow's engage Super League Round 17 clash at the GWP Stadium when the Bulls take on in form St Helens.

STEVE McNAMARA
IT'S A TROUGH SPELL AT THE MOMENT. HOW ARE YOU HANDLING IT?
It is a tough spell at the moment but it's very easy to lead a team / club when you have no injuries and everything is going smooth but these are the times when you have to both front up and show up. You have to lead by example and we know if we keep doing that then we will come though the other side and the tide will turn for us.

In terms of injuries this is the worst since I came to the club. We are really down on numbers ? what's available for this weekend and what some of the players have been playing with in recent weeks - but I don't think it's as deep as some people have been trying to suggest. Yes we have lost three games on the bounce and one of them was the Challenge Cup but there have been some circumstances and things that have gone against us in that period but that's where we are. Within parts of those games we have shown some good things to suggest we will be ok but generally things have not quite gone for us and we have been under the pump but we have just got to keep working hard and turn it around. Like I said; we can all coach and lead when it's going well but let's do it when the chips are down and in a sadistic sort of way I am really looking forward to the challenge.

DO YOU FEEL THERE IS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON YOU AT THE MOMENT?
It's not pressure; it's expectations. We all want to win every game and when we don't live up to those expectations then we are all very disappointed and that's what has been happening. It's all part and parcel of the job, good and bad and you take the rough with the smooth and it doesn't really affect what we try to do here we just have to try and get the best out of the team we put on the field.

I am not too concerned about the fact we have to go to St Helens on Friday because we just want to play. Nor am I concerned with the players who are not available. My concern and focus has to be on the players who we have available and getting the best from them so they can then perform. If we can do that then we will be fine but it doesn't really bother me where we are going or who we are up against.

HOW HAVE THE PLAYERS CHANGED OVER THIS PERIOD? HOW HAVE THEY RESPONDED TO THE ADVERSITY AND WHAT YOU HAVE SAID TO THEM?
They will follow. If they are led strongly and toughly they will follow and that's what they will do. There are going to be lots of young players in there tomorrow all going to get thrown out on the park together. It's time to see what they are made of and what we are made of and they are ones for the future and it will stand them in good stead but I am hoping they can perform on this occasion as well and I am sure if they have the right attitude ? and they certainly will have the right attitude- they will give it a good shake.

SQUAD
Semi Tadulala returns to a Bulls Squad that is lacking Terry Newton, shoulder, Tame Tupou, knee and Andy Lynch, neck. Long term injured players are Paul Deacon, hamstring, Glenn Morrison, knee, Wayne Godwin, groin and Chris Nero, broken collar bone. Also in the Squad are Matt James and Chris Feather, who both missed last week's game and set for their debuts are Hooker Keal Carlile, who was on the bench against Leeds but did not figure and Full Back Kieran Hyde. Carlile is from the Pontefract area whilst Hyde comes from Barnsley and was Player of the Month in the first month of the Gillette Academy. Both have been regular members of the Bulls Academy side this season.

The 19 man Squad is: Sam Burgess, Paul Sykes, Matt James, Chris Feather, James Evans, Dave Halley, Michael Platt, Shontayne Hape, Iestyn Harris, Ben Jeffries, Semi Tadulala, Simon Finnigan, Kieran Hyde, Matt Cook, David Solomona, Keal Carlile, Joe Vagana, Craig Kopczak, Jamie Langley.

MILESTONES
PAUL DEACON, who has kicked 66 goals from 78 attempts this season for an average of 84.62%, passed a career total of 2,400 points in the game at Castleford. He also needs only four points for a Super League career total of 2,000 (not including play-offs). His 1,996 points have come from 64 tries and 879 goals, including 18 drop goals, in 254 rounds of Super League. All the points were scored for Bradford, but he also made two substitute appearances for Oldham without scoring. Only Andrew Farrell has scored more Super League points than Deacon, with a record 2,228 for Wigan Warriors from 1996 to 2004.

JAMES EVANS, made his 100th career appearance in British Rugby League in the game against Catalans Dragons last week. He has made 53 appearances for Huddersfield Giants, 6 for Wakefield Wildcats on loan and 41 for Bradford Bulls. He has scored 45 tries.

IESTYN HARRIS needs 2 tries for a career total of 150. He has scored 148 Tries for Warrington, Leeds, Bradford, Gt. Britain, Wales and Gt. Britain Under 21's.

WAYNE GODWIN needs 8 points for a career total of 300. The Hooker has scored 33 tries and kicked 80 goals in his 155 appearances.

News Source: www.bradfordbulls.co.uk

Advanced Search