Bulls suffer case of ref justice

A great game, a great spectacle - ruined by another great referee mess-up.

Millennium Magic had been a success, with the Bulls and Leeds Rhinos serving up a fitting treat as its climax in Cardiff last night.

The thrilling top-of-the-table match was finely poised throughout, played at an electric pace with both sets of bust-up players delivering performances that would have graced any sporting arena.

It will certainly have whetted the appetite of the Welsh.

But all this pulsating clash will be remembered for are the farcical events of the final seconds when the Bulls somehow ended up on the wrong end of another heartbreaking defeat to their arch-rivals in the most controversial of circumstances.

Bradford were leading 38-36 with only seconds remaining when Steve Ganson awarded Leeds a penalty against Matt Cook.

The Bulls second-row was supposed to have been in an offside position when picking up a spilled pass - but the ball had come off a Leeds man.

The Rhinos weren't arguing and up stepped Kevin Sinfield, who famously refused a similar kick at the same venue when Leeds lost the 2003 Challenge Cup final.

This time he had no option, 40 metres out and at an acute angle, the kick sailed high - and amazingly bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Leeds players seemed, strangely, to react quicker than anyone else and up popped teenage substitute Jordan Tansey to collect and dive over just after the hooter had sounded, sparking jubilant scenes.

Bulls skipper Paul Deacon, Iestyn Harris and Jamie Langley all immediately urged Ganson to go to the video referee for such a vital decision. They had spotted something amiss and, after all, he had already visited the screen EIGHT times before. But, amazingly, the official had already awarded the score.

Replays later showed that Tansey and four other Leeds players had been in front of Sinfield when the kick was taken. No wonder he got there quickest.

The demoralised Bulls have now lost the last four games against Leeds, three of which came within four points or less. In some they were not the better side, and that is easier to take, but last night Steve McNamara was right in his assertions that refereeing decisions had cost his team dear.

Michael Platt and Lesley Vainikolo both had tries' disallowed by video official Ashley Klein, the latter of which seemed certain - especially after Leeds had gained a far more dubious Brent Webb effort via the "benefit of the doubt" rule.

The Bulls overcame a shaky start - first Iestyn Harris and then Nathan McAvoy failed to deal with the kick-off to concede a drop-out - to hit Leeds with an early score.

Paul Deacon's 40/20 gave them field position and, when Webb was caught offside, the Bulls skipper took the unusual step of accepting the gift two points.

Having lost by such narrow margins in the past, maybe Deacon realised that couple could prove all too vital in the final outcome.

As a vibrant, exciting first half progressed, it seemed he was right, with both sides attacking each other with some fluid, open rugby that will have enticed any of the watching Welsh neutrals.

There were brilliant performances all over the park, not least by Michael Platt. Judging by the way the Bulls full back sparked into action, he must have been mightily offended that Paul Wellens had overtaken him as Super League's leading try-scorer by touching down four times against Wigan the previous night.

Platt responded by quickly getting his 13th of the season, latching on to Terry Newton's exquisite pass to bypass the Rhinos' line defence, and soon after got his 14th to regain his title as top man.

In between, Leeds' Scott Donald had produced an amazing piece of skill to set up Jamie Jones-Buchanan's try.

The winger was stooping low to catch Sinfield's fired-out pass and heading into touch with McAvoy looming but he somehow managed a marvellous reverse pass to the waiting second-row.

When Danny McGuire stepped inside Newton and then evaded Langley to set off on one of his trademark breaks, with Webb on hand to finish off up the middle, buzzing Leeds were beginning to look in the mood.

Sinfield's second conversion put them 12-8 ahead but Vainikolo went close at the other end after a typically barrelling surge to the line - but the Tongan was relieved soon after when Lee Smith outflanked him and supplied the pass for McGuire to race in from 40 metres.

The video ref spotted a foot in touch as Smith danced past Vainikolo and the Bulls were let off the hook.

They made the most of the reprieve as Iestyn Harris's jinking run infield finished with a surprise offload and Newton found Platt hitting the gap from 15 metres.

Vainikolo was denied by the video ref after Sinfield and Keith Senior held the Gloucester-bound Tongan up over the line following another blockbusting charge but he wasn't to be denied.

He may not be around for much longer but Vainikolo is desperate to sign off with a flourish. He started last night with a great try typical of the sort that have made him such a Bulls legend over the last five years, given half a yard of space by centre James Evans and then getting to the corner one-handed.

The Rhinos would not let go though and, after McGuire's perfect kick had forced another drop-out, they immediately retaliated.

Sinfield jumped out of dummy half and caught the Bulls markers flat-footed before picking out Webb. Deacon halted the Kiwi No 1 but he managed to palm the ball back and Senior picked up the pieces to muscle his way over the line.

The score came just three minutes before the break but the Bulls did not go in with their heads down after a brilliant piece of opportunism by Ian Henderson.

On the first tackle after the restart from Senior's try, he ripped possession off a bemused Jamie Thackray and dashed for the line to give his team-mates a massive lift.

Leeds showed their frightening ability to score from anywhere by getting the first breakthrough of the second half, Webb again on hand after Donald had escaped down the left flank, but then they self-destructed.

Thackray lost the ball in his own half to hand Bulls possession and then Webb complained too loudly to Ganson in back play and was sin-binned for dissent.

They grew more and more frustrated, especially being on the end of a 6-0 penalty count, and it played into the Bulls' hands.

Ben Harris benefited with a try after a great pass from his namesake Iestyn but the nip-and-tuck affair continued at a pace.

Rob Burrow got Leeds back within two points with a burst of pace, Andy Lynch bulldozed over in response but then came Webb's controversial second when Gareth Ellis spilled a pass forward in the build-up.

Again trailing by two, with 13 minutes to go, Leeds lay siege to the Bulls line but McNamara's men heroically held out for three consecutive sets.

Then Platt thought he had sealed it when his kick bounced off Ryan Hall and he dived over but Klein spotted a knock-on. However, no-one could see what was wrong when Vainikolo latched on to Iestyn Harris's kick to the corner. Apparently, Evans had touched the ball forward in flight but there was nothing conclusive from the replays. What about that "benefit of the doubt" ruling, cried angered Bulls fans?

But worse was to come as Ganson made his last imprint on the match in those frantic final moments.