Huddersfield Giants 54 Bradford Bulls 16

First, the good news.

The Bulls could have James Donaldson, Antonio Kaufusi, Manase Manuokafoa, Jordan Baldwinson and Mason Tonks available for Saturday’s trip to Catalan.

That would serve as a massive boost to a squad down to its bare bones and in desperate need of reinforcements in the forwards department.

The bad news is that this thumping defeat leaves Francis Cummins’ side on zero points with 13 rounds of the season gone.

The Bulls began brightly enough and trailed only 12-10 four minutes before the break.

Buoyed by the return of Luke Gale, they fashioned well-worked tries from Danny Addy and Jamie Foster and made light of their lack of bodies with a spirited display.

But Huddersfield scored twice in quick succession as the interval approached and their 24-10 lead was more than doubled during an utterly one-sided second half.

It felt cruel at times to watch the Bulls, with Adam Sidlow their only recognised prop available, having to slug it out with a monstrous Huddersfield pack.

It was a fifth successive win for Paul Anderson’s men, who had nine different try-scorers, and saw Bradford slip to their seventh Magic Weekend defeat in eight years.

The next fortnight is shaping up as pivotal in the Bulls’ season.

The appeal against their points penalty is due to be heard before the end of the month and fixtures against Catalan and Wakefield – sides they have beaten already this year – offer the opportunity to get their campaign back on track.

Whether or not new recruits Baldwinson and Tonks, who are due to begin training with the Bulls this week following their arrival from New Zealand Warriors, can play a significant role in the club’s survival bid remains to be seen.

But certainly Cummins’ squad should look considerably healthier heading to Perpignan than it did yesterday.

During a weekend which saw a number of former Bradford players play prominent roles for their new clubs, not least Elliott Whitehead and John Bateman, the Huddersfield line-up also served as a reminder of the talent to have slipped through the Bulls’ fingers in recent years.

Craig Kopczak, Brett Ferres, Joe Wardle and Larne Patrick all featured prominently, along with Anthony Mullally, who enjoyed a successful loan spell at Odsal earlier in the season.

Gale’s return saw Lee Gaskell revert to full back, but the absence of Jamal Fakir and Manuokafoa, coupled with Kaufusi’s ineligibility, meant Sidlow was the Bulls’ only available recognised prop.

He started in the front row alongside Chev Walker but Cummins’ men, roared on by a vociferous following, began brightly and opened the scoring in the fifth minute.

Gaskell embarked on a promising break inside the left channel and, although his progress was halted, the Bulls continued to probe.

They worked the ball across the face of the Giants’ defence and to the left corner, where Adrian Purtell’s deft offload found Addy just short of the line.

He showed impressive strength to burst through the tackles of Leroy Cudjoe and Jodie Broughton to touch down in the left corner for a try awarded after deliberation from video referee Ian Smith.

Jamie Foster added the extras from close to the touchline and, with Matt Diskin influential at the ruck, Gale’s organisational skills to the fore and men such as Purtell and Adam Henry ever-willing runners, the Bulls began to turn the form book on its head.

Huddersfield replied in the 14th minute when Ferres, back in the Giants side after a five-game ban, broke inside the left channel and found Wardle advancing at pace.

The former Bradford youngster could not be stopped as he scampered clear from 20 metres out for a try which Danny Brough converted.

Yet the Bulls remained composed and continued to fashion openings with their willingness to offload at every opportunity.

Diskin, Jay Pitts, Addy, Gale and Luke George were involved in one such sequence which almost opened Huddersfield up on the right edge.

Gale and Diskin went close before the Bulls conjured a delightful score in the 19th minute.

Diskin collected possession and found Addy, who in turn found Purtell with a neat short pass to his left.

The Australian centre then kept the move flowing with a deft offload to Henry and he ushered Foster over in the left corner for an athletic finish which he could not convert.

Huddersfield came back strongly again, however, and five minutes later Shaun Lunt burrowed over the line from point-blank range for a try which Brough converted to put his side 12-10 up.

The Bulls were forced to defend their line doggedly as Huddersfield went in search of a third try but their goal-line defence held firm.

That changed in the 36th minute, however, when Brough opted not to pass on the last tackle and instead brilliantly broke the Bulls’ line, leaving a trail of defenders in his wake and Pitts on his backside before finding Scott Grix in support.

The full back then had the simple task of sending Luke Robinson over from close range.

It was Brough at his impish and impudent best but the defending left much to be desired as he galloped past a number of Bradford players.

It grew worse for the Bulls two minutes later when Huddersfield claimed a fourth try.

Broughton collected a pass from Cudjoe on his own ten-metre line which cut out Foster and the Giants winger showed devastating pace to race down the right flank and hare past a bewildered Gaskell for a fine individual effort.

Brough’s four successful conversion attempts meant Huddersfield led 24-10 at the break but, in the 47th minute, Bradford appeared to have a lifeline when Henry arrived to touch down Addy’s teasing grubber kick.

But Smith disallowed the score for a knock-on and moments later Lunt powered over the line, only for Kear to prevent him grounding the ball with an excellent piece of defending.

You could not fault the spirit of Cummins’ men as they battled against a physically superior Giants outfit, with Purtell and Tom Olbison forced into stints in the front row.

Their lack of depth always looked likely to tell and so it proved in the 53rd minute when Patrick took Robinson’s pass and broke the Bulls’ line and a simple offload sent Brough over the line.

He converted to make it 30-10 and four minutes later Grix crashed through the Bradford defence to score from close range.

Ukuma Ta’ai and Mullally then did likewise as the Bulls began to tire badly before Patrick added a ninth try, leaving Foster to complete the scoring late on with another neat finish in the left corner.

Huddersfield replied in the 14th minute when Ferres, back in the Giants side after a five-game ban, broke inside the left channel and found Wardle advancing at pace.

The former Bradford youngster could not be stopped as he scampered clear from 20 metres out for a try which Danny Brough converted.

Yet the Bulls remained composed and continued to fashion openings with their willingness to offload at every opportunity.

Diskin, Jay Pitts, Addy, Gale and Luke George were involved in one such sequence which almost opened Huddersfield up on the right edge.

Gale and Diskin went close before the Bulls conjured a delightful score in the 19th minute.

Diskin collected possession and found Addy, who in turn Purtell with a neat short pass to his left.

The Australian centre then kept the move flowing with a deft offload to Henry and he ushered Foster over in the left corner for an athletic finish which he could not convert.

Huddersfield came back strongly again, however, and five minutes later Shaun Lunt burrowed over the line from point-blank range for a try which Brough converted to put his side 12-10 up.

The Bulls were forced to defend their line doggedly as Huddersfield went in search of a third try but their goal-line defence held firm.

That changed in the 36th minute, however, when Brough opted not to pass on the last tackle and instead brilliantly broke the Bulls’ line, leaving a trail of defenders in his wake and Pitts on his backside before finding Scott Grix in support.

The full back then had the simple task of sending Luke Robinson over from close range.

It was Brough at his impish and impudent best but the defending left much to be desired as he galloped past a number of Bradford players.

It grew worse for the Bulls two minutes later when Huddersfield claimed a fourth try. Broughton collected a pass from Cudjoe on his own ten-metre line which cut out Foster.

The Giants winger showed devastating pace to race down the right flank and hare past a bewildered Gaskell for a fine individual effort.

Brough’s four successful conversion attempts meant Huddersfield led 24-10 at the break but, in the 47th minute, Bradford appeared to have a lifeline when Henry arrived to touch down Addy’s teasing grubber kick.

But Smith disallowed the score for a knock-on and moments later Lunt powered over the line, only for Kear to prevent him grounding the ball with an excellent piece of defending.

You could not fault the spirit of Cummins’ men as they battled against a physically superior Giants outfit, with Purtell and Tom Olbison forced into stints in the front row.

Their lack of depth always looked likely to tell and so it proved in the 53rd minute when Patrick took Robinson’s pass and broke the Bulls’ line and a simple offload sent Brough over the line.

He converted to make it 30-10 and four minutes later Grix crashed through the Bradford defence to score from close range.

Ukuma Ta’ai and Mullally then did likewise as the Bulls began to tire badly before Patrick added a ninth try.

Foster completed the scoring late on with another neat finish in the left corner after good work from Diskin and replacement Sam Wood.