Saints against sinners

Steve McNamara said he needed all 17 players to be on the top of their game for the Bulls to make it into the Powergen Challenge Cup quarter-finals. He was let down shockingly.

If every player is honest with themselves they know they all underperformed as the Bulls crashed to a horror defeat.

Saints are a good enough side as they are without being encouraged by wimpish tackling, a lack of desire and stupid rugby.

But that's what they met on Saturday and with the outstanding Sean Long on top of his game, kicking them to death, there was always only going to be one winner in a clash that had been built up to be a potential classic.

The Bulls rightly fancied their chances of making it all the way to Twickenham, especially having hit some hot form just around the corner from that stadium against Harlequins the previous Saturday.

But there was no class on show this time as they came up against a real team and badly fell short.

Bradford never looked capable of beating their hosts from start to finish and the standard of their football had to be seen to be believed.

Keiron Cunningham scored a trademark try after 90 seconds and Saints never looked back as they made the most of some real gifts and upped their own game to run out convincing winners.

When the likes of Long, Paul Sculthorpe, Jamie Lyon, Cunningham and co all hit form they are an irresistible force and they made the Bulls look woeful by comparison.

McNamara rollocked his side afterwards and was fuming in the press conference.

Skipper Iestyn Harris admitted: "He's got a right to be angry and the players are angry too.

"Some of the tries we gave Saints were on a plate.

"We made some silly mistakes, needed to complete sets, didn't do that and dropped off at the wrong times. Saints made us pay.

"I've been in the game a long time and sometimes you catch them on their day. We did that on Saturday.

"We can't feel sorry for ourselves. We've got Leeds at home on Friday night and we must turn it around."

Leeds aren't in great form themselves but they will beat Bradford if the champions repeat this sort of performance.

It was one-way traffic as soon as Cunningham had burrowed over after the Bulls had handed their hosts perfect field position following the first of many needless penalties.

He just managed to ground the ball despite Mick Withers' tackle and video referee Ian Ollerton awarded the try.

Lyon slotted from the touchline and Saints were encouraged further as the visitors struggled to complete a set, Ben Harris spilling a pass that was destined for Paul Johnson and then Andy Lynch of all people coughing up on the second tackle after the Bulls had won a penalty.

Lyon added a penalty of his own after Stuart Fielden copped Willie Talau with a high shot and the champions were already in disarray, Paul Deacon providing a pass along the floor to Jamie Langley and then Shontayne Hape running from dummy half before suddenly realising it was the last tackle.

The one time they had Saints battling to get off their own line, Long relieved the pressure with a magnificent 40/20 that was effectively a 30/10.

Sculthorpe slid past Deacon in the ensuing set and just stretched over despite the efforts of Hape but Ollerton did the Bulls a favour by disallowing the try for a poor grounding.

It didn't stop Saints though as soon after they crossed legitimately.

Deacon produced another shocking pass that went to ground 30 metres from their own line, Ade Gardner hacked on and although Lesley Vainikolo pulled Long down just short, Paul Wellens finished off a few tackles later after Jason Hooper broke the line all too easily.

Bradford had a rare sight of the opposition line when Paul Johnson named on the wing as the Bulls began life without the injured Marcus Bai broke down the right side on the last but he kicked ahead with support around him and the chance went begging.

Saints weren't as profligate. Francis Melli used some neat footwork to leave Joe Vagana standing and he raced fully 50 metres before drawing Withers to send Bulls old boy Lee Gilmour in.

Vagana made up for his error when Saints showed a rare kind touch of their own, Sculthorpe inexplicably spilling the ball as he tried barging his way out of his own 20.

The Kiwi prop picked up the gift and barrelled his way through Wellens and Long to get to the line.

Normal service resumed though when Fielden knocked on from the restart kick and Saints punished them with Nick Fozzard getting on to the end of Long's neat grubber, video ref Ollerton again making the call.

That made it 26-6 at the break and there was no coming back for the Bulls, who hadn't won a Challenge Cup clash against their foes in 26 years and lost three finals against them during that period.

Saints thought they had put the final nail in the coffin when Long intercepted a Terry Newton pass just 41 seconds into the second half but the Saints scrum half playing against him for the first time since the incident last year when Newton infamously inflicted a broken cheekbone on him was pulled up for offside.

Typically though, the Bulls didn't make the most of their opportunity. The penalty put them deep into Saints territory but Withers was bundled into touch as he headed down the blindside early in the count and the frustration was clear to see on some of the players' faces.

When Lyon broke clear after making the most of Stanley Gene's slip, Withers was on hand to deny him but from the next play Saints were queuing up and Fozzard got the reward. Lethargic Bradford couldn't even make the most of a fierce wind now behind their backs as Cunningham got his second, handing off Deacon to get to the line next before a well-worked backline move saw Talau get on the outside of his former Canterbury team-mate Ben Harris to get Saints' seventh try in the corner.

The Bulls got the last two tries of the game courtesy of Withers but there was nothing to celebrate.

Saints chief Daniel Anderson said: "We overwhelmed Bradford with our enthusiasm."

And pretty much every other facet of the game.

Former head coach Brian Smith arrives today to start his work with the Bulls but it is the current boss that the team owe. They need to repay McNamara after this debacle and now the season hinges on their Super League defence.