Bulls score perfect ten

THE OPPOSITION are now having to use the interchange rules for press conferences such is the current level of humiliation the Bulls are inflicting.

Giants boss John Kear looked pretty shell-shocked after the Challenge Cup defeat at Odsal in February but this time he couldn't even show his face.

Instead football co-ordinator Barry Johnson - the former Castleford prop - was thrust into the limelight and he admitted: "John thought it better if he didn't speak publicly. He's not happy with the way we played in the second half or with some of the referee's decisions which seemed to go against us."

The Giants will study the video today before deciding whether to take the matter any further but not even another bewildering performance from the official Karl Kirkpatrick, who certainly helped the Bulls' cause, could hide the growing assertion that most sides just can't live with them right now.

Another ten tries were further evidence of that and they could even afford to be well below their best for the opening quarter.

During that period the Giants gave easily as good as they got and no one would have denied them a ninth minute try from Paul Reilly.

The full-back looked all-over a scorer after pass from David Lomax. The in-goal judge appeared to give it all all-clear only for Kirkpatrick to confer with the touch judge - handily placed 50 yards away! - who duly ruled he had lost control (Reilly that is).

It was one of a series of rulings which added to home frustration.

"Paul Reilly scored when Bradford seemed to be taken aback by the way we were playing," said Johnson. "But Bradford don't need any help."

They certainly don't.

A greasy ball played havoc with their handling early on and they were deservedly behind to a Matt Crowther penalty for offside.

But when they finally clicked it was in devastating fashion and by half-time it was over as a contest.

Tevita Vaikona launched the move when he drifted infield and magical evasion by Henry and Robbie Paul saw Nathan McAvoy add the finishing touches from an overhead pass.

Robbie then released David Boyle on a fine angled run and Brad Mackay showed his strength to force his way under the posts.

Jimmy Lowes then used the narrow side for Vaikona to open his seasonal account and the Giants were starting to look anything but.

What followed after the break indicates not only how good the current squad is but how keen the battle for places is becoming and how it is focussing minds with a pretty large distraction looming at the end of the month.

The performances of David Boyle, Justin Brooker and Lee Radford said it all.

Boyle and Radford - no doubt fired up by their semi-final exclusion - were like men possessed while Brooker is going to take some shifting from the side after waiting patiently for his chance.

Boyle ran with the incisiveness which made him such a big hit last year in paving the way for Mackay's try and later showed great awareness to follow up Henry Paul's precision chip kick to score himself.

Radford put in some fine runs, notably a real stormer after more neat work by Henry, which allowed Brooker to show off his pretty formidable fend and make it five tries in three appearances after early profiting from more good work by Boyle.

Just after the break, Boyle's kick had been fluffed by Sovatabua and the alert Leon Pryce passed off the ground to Mackay who in turn sent Robbie Paul darting over.

Paul Anderson, albeit from a dubious Lowes pass, also powered over to cap another great effort which must surely win him the nod over current England props Steve Molloy and Dale Laughton for the World Cup.

Stuart Fielden also gave Giants and national boss John Kear a significant nudge with a big effort off the bench which included a late try through a, by now, totally demoralised defence.

There had been little sign of brotherly love as Giants forward Jamie Fielden launched himself at 'our kid' in a bid to bring him down to size but he kept his discipline well - another impressive feature of this side.

McAvoy also grabbed his second to move level with Michael Withers at the top of the Bulls' scoring chart on seven to send another startled opponent back to the drawing board.

On the basis of saving the best till last there was another captivating display from Henry Paul.

He's making the art of goalkicking look ridiculously easy - don't be deceived because he works for hours on the training ground - and his general play and appetite for the game was again superb.

Matthew Elliott would probably love to be able to wrap his stand-off in cotton wool for Murrayfield but in his current mood the mercurial Kiwi would probably side-step him anyway.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.