Bull-dozed! Bad spell continues at Magic Weekend as Giants cut Bradford down to size

Magic Weekend?

Not for the Bulls.

Not after being comprehensively outmuscled and outplayed by a physically superior Huddersfield Giants outfit.

Magic Misery might be more apt after Bradford’s record in the annual jamboree grew worse yesterday.

Since losing to Leeds in such controversial fashion at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium in 2007, the Bulls have known little else but misery on this stage.

Their Magic Weekend record makes for grim reading.

It is now six defeats in seven years after Huddersfield exacted sweet revenge for their heavy home defeat at the hands of the Bulls on March 3.

There were mitigating factors yesterday: Luke Gale and John Bateman were missing due to injury.

But there was no justification for the way Francis Cummins’ men fell off tackles to allow Huddersfield to open up an 18-0 interval lead.

It was a gamble to throw Jamie Foster straight back in after four matches on the sidelines with a ruptured pectoral muscle.

He was recalled at the expense of Michael Platt and deployed at full back yesterday.

It would be unfair to single out the former St Helens man for criticism but he was clearly lacking match fitness and at times it showed.

Certainly the manner in which Huddersfield hooker Shaun Lunt evaded Foster’s challenge shortly before the Giants’ third try was alarming.

Similarly, the way Dale Ferguson galloped past Foster for his second try in the 54th minute gave similar cause for concern.

Give credit to Foster and the Bulls, though, who never threw in the towel and were rewarded when he scored his team's only try in the 59th minute.

But take nothing away from Huddersfield either.

The Giants are a well-drilled and well-motivated side under Paul Anderson and are not riding high in the table for nothing.

Yet the Bulls never looked anywhere capable of reproducing the victory they romped to at the John Smith’s Stadium in early March.

Huddersfield, who included former Bulls man Craig Kopczak in their starting line-up, dominated the physical battle up front.

That allowed Danny Brough to expertly guide his team around the field, ably assisted by half-back partner Luke Robinson and the impressive Lunt at hooker.

Gale’s absence meant that Jarrod Sammut could resume his partnership in the halves alongside Danny Addy, while Foster slotted in at full back in the continued absence of Brett Kearney.

It was a momentous occasion, of course, for Adrian Purtell as he returned to the Etihad Stadium for the first time since the tumultuous events of a year ago.

Purtell started on the left flank but the Bulls were forced onto the back foot in the opening exchanges as Brough’s expert kicking game came to the fore.

The Huddersfield playmaker missed the previous meeting between these sides, when the Bulls romped to an exhilarating 43-18 victory.

After being forced back deep inside their own half, the Bulls gradually steadied themselves and a fine carry from the recalled Tom Olbison gave them the field position to build some pressure on their opponents’ line.

Sammut combined well with Foster to find Keith Lulia, whose progress was halted, but a teasing grubber kick from Sammut then forced the Giants to drop out.

However, the pendulum soon swung back in Huddersfield’s favour and they made it pay in the ninth minute.

From a simple play-the-ball on Bradford’s 20-metre line, Brough found Eorl Crabtree and he showed intelligence to supply Robinson coming at pace.

Robinson then spotted Ferguson advancing like a steam train and the back-rower powered past a clutch of statuesque Bulls defenders to gallop over the line from ten metres out.

It soon got worse for Cummins and his players as Huddersfield grabbed a second try in the 14th minute.

Robinson flighted a high kick into the right corner, where Leroy Cudjoe got in front of Purtell to palm the ball back into the path of Scott Grix.

The Giants full back, unopposed, touched down for the easiest try of this or any other season and Brough’s second goal made it 12-0.

The Bulls were struggling for air but in the 16th minute they looked to have been handed a lifeline when Addy’s kick was caught and grounded by Elliot Kear.

However, video referee Ben Thaler ruled out the score for an offside offence.

It looked harsh to say the least, and denied the Bulls a try that would have hauled them right back into the contest.

As it was, Huddersfield survived and they did so again five minutes later when Robinson lost the ball on halfway.

Sammut was on to it in a flash, hacking the ball forward and racing down the left channel before Huddersfield winger Jermaine McGillvary was on hand to smother the danger.

Yet the largely one-way traffic continued when Huddersfield scored a third.

Lunt embarked on a strong run inside the left channel and Foster allowed the Giants hooker to race past him and deep into Bradford territory.

Huddersfield kept the ball alive and a quick pass from Brough sent former Bulls academy player Larne Patrick barrelling over the line from ten metres out for another simple score.

Brough’s third goal made it 18-0 and left the Bulls staring down the barrel.

Eight minutes before half-time, they almost fashioned a much-needed response when Foster threw a fine pass out to Kear.

The Wales winger looked set to plunge over in the right corner but Aaron Murphy was on hand to avert the danger with a timely interception.

Cummins made a number of changes during the opening period, bringing on James Donaldson, Ben Evans, Matt Diskin and Jacob Fairbank against his parent club.

The Bulls conjured another spirited response but Huddersfield simply refused to buckle and defended their line doggedly.

Within two minutes of the restart, Sammut broke from inside his own half and made at least 20 metres before Brad Dwyer’s saving tackle prevented him scampering clear.

Huddersfield then claimed a fourth try in the 54th minute when Lunt found Robinson 20 metres out and his neat offload beckoned Ferguson to power past the challenges of Sammut and then Foster to score all too easily.

Still the Bulls continued to probe and they got their only try of the game shortly before the hour mark.

Addy flighted a kick to the right corner, Kear did brilliantly to field the ball and find Foster, who burrowed over from close range for a try he then converted.

However, the respite was only temporary as Brough’s pass sent Patrick advancing forward at pace before he unselfishly ushered the impressive Lunt over the line.

Kopczak then caught Sammut late on, sparking a brief melee between both sets of players, but late tries from former Bulls man Brett Ferres in the left corner and replacement Anthony Mullally, from close range, served as a reminder of Huddersfield’s superiority.