Final fling for Lowes

There was no less emotion than his last such solo venture, a circuit of Old Trafford last October after the cruel Grand Final defeat, but this time it was for a very different reason.

The veteran had once again rolled back the years with the semi-final's opening try and a man-of-the-match performance, and the occasion had clearly moved the 33-year-old.

"I didn't want to cry on TV," said Lowes, determined to make the most of his final season before retirement.

"These walks are just my way of enjoying the day. It is all about enjoyment and I want to make sure I make the most of these occasions. That was my last Challenge Cup semi-final and I wanted to soak it all in.

"And I will be doing the same down in Cardiff. I will enjoy the day and make the most of the day. Surely, that's what it is all about?"

Lowes has done a lot of things on and off the field during his colourful career, but going to Wales is not one of them.

However, his passionate display went a long way to ensuring that he can tick off the Millennium Stadium as a venue where he has performed his myriad skills.

On paper, and in the bookmakers, this was always going to be Bradford's game with a clutch of injuries turning Wigan more into worriers than Warriors.

And with all but Danny Gartner returning from injury, the Bulls' chances of joining Leeds in Cardiff were looking pretty healthy come kick-off time.

But it was a victory made harder than expected according to Lowes by "stupid penalties and bad decisions" in the first-half.

Despite early pressure in which Terry O'Connor knocked-on in the game's second play, Lowes was held up over the line, a clever Joe Vagana cross-field kick was lofted and Stuart Fielden flattened Kris Radlinski to force a drop-out, the Bulls couldn't break through.

Against the run of play, and the odds, it was Stuart Raper's men who took the lead.

Fielden was penalised 40 metres out for holding down and Danny Tickle teased one over.

But the Bulls kept up the pressure and old-stager Lowes made his first decisive impact after 18 minutes.

On the last tackle, and spurred on by the knowledge that he was being backed to score first at 16-1, he put in a neat dab and then dived on the ball marginally before Radlinski.

The first trip to the video screen, something that was to plague the game throughout, confirmed the score and Bradford were ahead.

Eight minutes later the man upstairs was called upon once more to rule Paul Anderson had been held up just short, but in the subsequent set of six he did award a score.

On the last tackle again, Lowes dabbed one through which hit Wigan winger Brian Carney, it then ricocheted off Lee Radford's shin before the newly shaven-headed loose forward dived on the ball just inside the in-goal area.

Tickle pulled two points back after Lee Gilmour held down youngster Gareth Hock, the loose forward replacement for the injured Andy Farrell, and then the Wigan fightback really began.

With just minutes to go before the break, there appeared to be a slackening in concentration by the team in black and the Warriors battled into the lead.

A flowing move down the right ended with Radlinski looping a pass over his head for Terry Newton to score and, again with the help of the video referee, Danny Sculthorpe nipped round the back of the Bulls defence to touch down a Newton kick to make it 16-12 at the break in favour of the underdogs.

But given the Bulls' remarkable ability to come from behind, there seemed a genuine confidence in the Bradford faithful.

And this was duly repaid with a four-try blitz that ensured Wigan would lose their third

successive match for the first time in six years and their first semi-final since 1968.

But the start of the second period could have been so different for Bradford had Paul Deacon not been alert enough to catch the ball after it struck the post, and wrong-footed 12 of his team-mates, straight from kick-off.

But three minutes later and the rampage had begun. Lowes gave it to Deacon, then to Withers and then Hape dived over in the corner, the video referee once again confirming the score.

Then in the 53rd minute Paul, quieter than usual, juggled the ball before handing to Peacock, superb on his return from a broken hand, who sent Lowes through a gap. The hooker then passed inside to Radford to finish off with his fourth of the campaign, double his record haul for a season.

Deacon was the next across the whitewash, he gave it to Withers, another excelling despite injury, whose lightning hands gave it to Tevita Vaikona, the Tongan cut in and handed back to the scrum half on his inside to go over.

Then Vaikona himself rounded off the blitz, finishing off a move that saw Paul perform a clever one-two with Peacock before giving it to Pryce and then to the winger.

Wigan's injury-filled Super League campaign was further derailed in the 67th minute as Radlinski had to be stretchered off after Gilmour's superb tackle chasing a Lowes kick before Carney dived over for a consolation score.

Deacon then missed a penalty after youngster Ricky Bibey had given Paul an unnecessary punch and Pratt was held up on the hooter over the line.

But the game had been sewn up by the hour-mark as the Bulls once again proved too strong, too fit and too powerful.

Unbeaten since February, 21, second in Super League, a Cardiff date with Leeds in the diary and all "without yet hitting our straps," according to Paul, things are looking bright down at Odsal for the Homecoming year.