Record-breaking Bulls star Paul Deacon insists: We can go all the way.

The livewire scrum half was inspirational for the second week running as Bradford defeated Warrington 40-24 in a classic play-off on Saturday night.

Buoyant Bulls now head to Hull in an all-ticket final eliminator knowing victory on Friday will send them to Old Trafford for a sixth successive year.

After another thrilling performance, Deacon reckons the champions could well defy the odds and defend their crown against St Helens.

"Hull ran Saints real close this weekend and it's definitely not going to be easy over there," he said.

"But we're playing with confidence and produced some great stuff against Warrington and in this sort of form we can beat anyone.

"We're a totally different team in the play-offs to what we were earlier.

"And the fans were great. The atmosphere at times was amazing.

"They've supported us all year and hopefully we can get them another trip to Old Trafford."

Bulls raced into an 18-0 lead despite seeing Player of the Year Andy Lynch cruelly suffer a broken ankle inside just two minutes.

Warrington staged a remarkable fightback to go 24-22 in front on the hour mark but Deacon popped up with a classy second try to put the hosts back in command. Lesley Vainikolo sprinted 90 metres and Mick Withers completed his hat-trick at the death to round off a pulsating encounter.

Deacon finished with 24 points, having also booted eight goals, the first of which saw him pass 2,000 career points.

Having already become Bradford's all-time leading goal-kicker and points scorer this season, he laughed: "They seem to be coming up every other week!"

Deacon's man-of-the-match display was a perfect response to Brian Noble, who left him out of Great Brtiain's Tri-Nations squad last week.

But the 27-year-old said: "It's been and gone.

"I didn't really expect to get picked over the season and I wasn't surprised.

"It doesn't mean I don't think I could do a job but I've no complaints. Now I'm just concentrating on playing well for Bradford."

Luckless prop Lynch - who also missed GB selection - underwent an operation on his double break yesterday and is likely to be out for four months. One week-old baby boy Tristen came along to see his dad in action for the first time but the ever-present forward was crocked and stretchered off after an innocuous tackle early on.

Deacon admitted: "I'm really gutted for him.

"With what happened to Lynchy last year - missing out on the Grand Final - and now winning all those player of the year awards, playing consistently each week only to miss the end of the season is terrible."

Wigan-bound full back Withers, meanwhile, signed off his last game at Odsal with a treble, making it nine tries in the last five games.

He said: "It was a great way to finish.

"I started here with four tries eight years ago and ended with three!"