Defence still suspect as Bradford Bulls edge cup derby

In the first Shay derby for eight years, Bradford claimed their first win in what seemed like almost as long.

Without a victory in five games prior to the Challenge Cup fourth-round tie, the Bulls finally did the business, although they could hardly have been less convincing.

Sure, the Bulls scored tries – and plenty of them – but their defence had more holes than a pin cushion. Try as he might to solve his side’s defensive issues, Mick Potter has not had much luck so far.

Rather than highlight the gulf in class between Super League and the Championship, this game instead degenerated into a mad scrap for victory. Neither side played with any kind of composure and control and although that might have been more excusable for the lower-division side, it certainly wasn’t for Bradford.

To make matters worse, Chev Walker left the field within minutes of kick-off after suffering a suspected broken metatarsal – yet another injury for the beleagured Bulls to worry about.

It took less than 30 seconds for derby hostilities to be renewed. Right from the kick off, Sam Barlow went hard and high on Andy Lynch in what seemed like an early statement of intent as much as a wild challenge.

But in making that statement, ’Fax paid the price. The resultant penalty allowed Bradford to creep downfield, forcing a drop-out when Rob Worrincy was forced into his own in-goal while fielding a Marc Herbert kick.

Michael Platt was denied a try as the result of a knock-on, Herbert’s bullet pass too low for the centre to comfortably collect.

But Halifax did themselves no favours, Miles Greenwood coughing up possession straight away to give the Bulls an opportunity they could not refuse.

Typically, former ’Fax favourite Shad Royston came up with the goods, darting over from dummy half before Patrick Ah Van added the extras.

Royston also had a hand – a somewhat dubious one at that – in the Bulls’ second try too, his long cut-out pass appearing to travel forward before reaching Gareth Raynor on the flank. The touch judge saw nothing wrong and Raynor cut inside Greenwood to touch down.

Although controversial, the try at least showed a willingness to move the ball wide at every opportunity, an expansive attitude that has too often been missing this season.

But as refreshing as it was to see the Bulls use their width, they would have been well advised to pick their moments far better.

Possession was surrendered when Elliott Whitehead dropped a needless offload from Lynch and although Halifax could not capitalise, Greenwood held up over the line, ball was handed straight back again.

This time, Kyle Briggs threw a nervy, wild pass into touch and this time, Bradford paid for it. Taking advantage of seriously slack goal-line defence, Jim Gannon took the short pass from Bob Beswick and stretched to touch down, Graham Holroyd adding the extras.

Having given ’Fax a way back into the game, the Bulls quickly reasserted their dominance as Briggs attempted to make up for his earlier error.

A neat dummy and delayed pass created space and Royston sent Michael Platt through a gap in the hosts’ left edge defence, Ah Van converting.

Yet rather than build on that platform and continue to apply pressure, Bradford did their best to make life difficult for themselves.

A try-scoring opportunity was turned into a dangerous situation when Craig Kopczak made an impressive break and offload, only for Lynch to promptly throw possession away.

Kopczak’s attempted hit on Greenwood went badly wrong, allowing the full back to break downfield and ’Fax scored when Sean Penkywicz crept over from dummy half, Danny Jones converting.

There was no let-up in the action and a piece of genuine quality from Whitehead put his side back in firm command.

The second-rower was somewhat fortuitous in finding the ball, as Briggs’ long pass bounced and bobbled before eventually finding a pair of hands, but there was not even a hint of luck about what followed.

Whitehead dummied once, dummied twice and stepped on the accelerator to leave three defenders in his wake and dash home from 40 metres.

But a topsy-turvy derby took another turn when ’Fax pulled within two points eight minutes before the break.

Ben Black combined with Penkywicz and his short ball sent Frank Watene strolling through the almost non-existent defence, Jones adding the extras.

Like Bradford, however, the hosts showed a strong tendency to push the self-destruct button and did so spectacularly when Ah Van picked off Penkywicz’s poor pass to run in from 40 metres before converting himself.

More fun and games followed when the two sides combined to provide two tries in the final two minutes of the first half.

Bradford were first to strike, Tom Burgess pouncing to claim his first senior try after Bryn Hargreaves had the ball ripped loose in a tackle.

Ah Van added the extras but a 14-point lead was slashed to eight when Penkywicz embarked on an elusive run before sending in Jones with a well-delayed pass. Jones was also on the mark with the conversion.

Hali’’fax made matters interesting four minutes after the break when they moved the ball wide on the final tackle and Sam Barlow touched down Ben Black’s excellent grubber kick.

But despite a seeming inability to do the basics and complete their sets, the Bulls proceeded to put themselves out of sight.

They were helped by some spectacular indiscipline from ‘’fax, who seemed to be punished for the whole gamut of offences while defending their own line.

Kopczak was denied a try by the video referee after failing to properly ground the ball but the breakthrough finally came on 53 minutes.

Hargreaves provided a smart pass to Herbert, who in turn sent Ian Sibbit over the try-line, the back-rower running a good, angled line to split the defence. Ah Van added the conversion – and the killer score followed nine minutes later.

Whitehead created it, picking up the ball from a scrum and supplying a quality drop-off pass, and Raynor was on hand to finish it, haring away to score in the left corner.

Ah Van kicked the conversion and a further penalty before Bradford had two tries chalked off by the video referee, one seemingly for obstruction when Raynor touched down a Briggs kick, the other for a knock-on when Lynch sprung the ball loose from a tackle in the build-up to Whitehead’s score.

There was still time for ’’fax to claim a late consolation, Bob Beswick bundling his way through the goal-line tackle from Royston to touch down.

Attendance: 5,045