Bradford Bulls new boy Briggs kicks stuffing out of Dewsbury

As a yardstick for the new Super League season it won’t have offered much – a mixed team of older heads and young hopefuls providing few hints on selection thinking – but there was still plenty of food for thought.

Matt Diskin, Olivier Elima and Kyle Briggs all made their Bulls debuts, the latter particularly encouraging alongside Cain Southernwood in the halves.

Briggs dazzled at times with the boot, taking advantage of the tight Tetley’s Stadium pitch to kick three 40-20s, providing the field position for Southernwood to go to work, his lively presence a key factor in a dominant second half.

Notable cameos from academy starlets Callum Windley and Lewis Reed added to the positives, while Nick Scruton, Steve Crossley and Tom Olbison all made successful returns from injury.

The Bulls made a bright enough start, seemingly refreshed on their return to action after a week’s warm-weather training in Lanzarote.

But early possession counted for nothing – dropped ball and misplaced passes becoming an all too familiar sight for both sides.

Paul Sykes was an early culprit, unable to grab hold of Briggs’ fizzing flat pass, while indiscipline also proved costly, Patrick Ah Van bursting through a gap, only to be penalised for crossing.

Still, there were encouraging signs and Briggs served early notice of his ability with a well-judged 40-20 kick.

Unfortunately, that platform was wasted and Dewsbury instead opened the scoring 11 minutes in.

Former Bulls academy hooker Johnny Horton knocked a well-judged grubber into Bradford’s in-goal area and prop Anthony England reacted quickest, gratefully diving on the loose ball.

Patrick Walker converted but the Rams bungled a big chance to extend their advantage, Ryan Glynn knocking on after the Bulls’ right-edge defence had been prised open.

Recovering from that shock, Bradford composed themselves and responded in the best possible fashion.

Having guided and cajoled his team-mates round the pitch confidently, Diskin highlighted the alternative side to his game, strength and tenacity allowing him to burrow over the line from dummy half on the back of two strong drives. Ah Van added the conversion.

Errors ensured the try-line wasn’t troubled for the remainder of the first half, although it wasn’t for want of trying.

Ayden Faal made a promising break for the hosts, bursting through the line at speed, and might have scored if he’d backed himself. Instead he looked for the support and Ah Van got a vital hand to the pass.

At the opposite end, Craig Kopczak came within inches of a try but was kept out by a stern goal-line resistance after hitting the inside pass from Briggs.

Further enhancing a positive debut, Briggs chipped in with another 40-20 two minutes before the break, doubling the Bulls’ tally from the whole of last season, but territory wasn’t exploited, Sykes throwing a wayward off-load into touch.

It only got worse in the exchanges immediately after the break, Dewsbury full back James Craven dancing through some flimsy right-side defence to score, Walker converting.

But that setback counted for little, an improvement in the Bulls’ performance coinciding with the withdrawal of several senior players.

A youthful line-up, more familiar with each other, found cohesion and spark, although their efforts were aided by the widespread changes made by Rams boss Warren Jowitt, taking the chance himself to blood a host of rookies.

Tom Burgess was denied a breakthrough as his powerful drive was stopped short but Ah Van picked up where he had left off, ducking and diving through a gap to touch down.

The Kiwi failed to tag on the conversion but it proved inconsequential, the Bulls edging in front minutes later.

Southernwood crafted an opening with a couple of neat dummies and provided the scoring pass to the supporting Liam McKay, Ah Van this time adding the extras.

It was the turn of the Bulls’ other half-back to turn creator for their fourth try of the afternoon, Briggs continuing his good work with the boot by knocking a delicate chip over the top to give Vinny Finigan a clear run to the line, Ah Van converting.

With Windley and Southernwood also combining to good effect it proved too much for the young Rams and the pair put together a couple of swift passes to send prop Reed powering over the line, Ah Van on target with the conversion.

Briggs made a superb break down the right to set up Finigan’s second try, the winger offering good support to beat the covering defence, before Steve Crossley drove over the whitewash from close range, Ah Van improving both.

Michael Platt rounded off the afternoon by getting on the end of a decent move to spin and score in the corner. Ah Van kicked his final goal as proceedings were brought to a close.

Bulls: Patrick Ah Van; Vinny Finigan, Michael Platt, Paul Sykes, Jason Crookes; Kyle Briggs, Cain Southernwood; Nick Scruton, Matt Diskin, Craig Kopczak, Olivier Elima, Elliott Whitehead, Danny Addy. Interchange: Callum Windley, Tom Burgess, Lewis Reed, Adam O’Brien, Liam McKay, Steve Crossley, Jobe Murphy, Liam McAvoy, John Bateman, Rob Hawthorne, Tom Olbison.