Bradford Bulls blast past Whitehaven despite sloppy start

Bulls lacked discipline in the first half against a side struggling on and off the field, and not helped by some controversial refereeing decisions and the concession of soft tries, they found themselves facing a shock defeat.

But they rolled up their sleeves from 18-10 down, as Whitehaven crumbled and Bradford flexed their play-off hunting muscles to eventually blow their hosts away.

With Halifax and London Broncos both winning, Bulls still have a three-point buffer in the Betfred Championship play-offs, but with Sheffield beaten at York, Lee Greenwood and Brian Noble’s side are just a point off fourth and a home knockout tie.

AJ Wallace created two early opportunities, adjudged to have lost control as he tried to crash over the line, then breaking away from a loose ball and feeding James Segeyaro.

AJ Wallace started brightly, but his champagne moment came later on. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

The veteran hooker looked to run in from the halfway line to score, but the visitors were pulled back for a knock on.

After all that, Whitehaven took the lead.

The ball bounced up in the air after a collision between Dion Aiye and Lee Gaskell, but was ruled to have come off the latter's arm.

With Gaskell forced off with a HIA he later passed, Haven had a fresh set and Connor Holliday barged towards the line and stretched out to score.

Josh Rourke swung his kick over neatly from the left for 6-0.

Bulls were losing their heads, and after Jason Baitieri gave away a soft penalty and Segeyaro was nearly sin-binned for dissent, Haven scored again.

They carved through far too easily, a neat offload took out Bulls skipper Michael Lawrence, and Aiye skated over to score under the posts, Rourke adding the extras.

Bulls had to hit back quickly and did.

Masi Matongo was held in the tackle a metre short and from the six again, with Haven momentarily distracted, Segeyaro burrowed over from close range for his first Bulls try, Patton halving the deficit with the conversion.

James Segeyaro's try put Bulls on the scoreboard. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Bulls almost levelled, but Lilley’s long miss pass for Ben Blackmore to score in the corner was clearly forward.

Haven re-established their double figure advantage two minutes later, following some soft defending around the ruck, as Ryan King battered his way through some limp defending to stretch out and score.

It soon got worse for Bradford. In a desperate attempt to stop a breakway after Connor Wynne dropped the ball, Dec Patton tackled high for a second time, and was sent packing to the sin-bin.

Bulls already felt like they were not getting much from the referee, even before a truly bizarre decision to penalise Wynne.

The full-back went down injured with his shoulder, like he had done against Widnes six days prior, and subsequently had to come off, with Bulls waiting to assess him.

While the referee initially stopped the clock, he then instead pulled the poor Hull FC loanee up for a knock-on to literally add insult to injury.

Bulls did at least hit back with 12 men.

Haven knocked on in a tackle close to their own line and on the last, Lilley tried a repeat of his long pass to Blackmore.

It was slightly behind the winger, who did well to reel it in, and pirouetted over in the corner.

Lilley failed to convert with Patton still off the field, yet Bulls thought they were about to get within two moments before the hooter.

But Ebon Scurr was deemed to have dropped the ball as he fell over the line backwards, meaning Bulls were eight points behind at the break.

Brian Noble and Lee Greenwood had plenty to contemplate at the break, but plenty to celebrate at full time. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Bradford started the second half in similar fashion, as Chester Butler lost the ball from Patton’s short pass stretching out to score.

Haven soon conceded though, as a soft penalty late in a Bulls set and a quick tap from Patton set up debutant loanee Daniel Okoro to storm towards the line.

He came up just short, but Keven Appo made no mistake, taking four home defenders with him over the line, Patton slotting over the easy extras.

The scrum-half then levelled proceedings with a penalty, and Bulls thought they had taken the lead through the returning Jayden Myers.

The young centre thought he had crossed the line but was deemed not to have got the ball down.

The home side looked to be tiring though, and Bulls did go in front with a lovely try.

Lawrence delayed his pass brilliantly, sending Lilley through a gap.

He fed Matongo, and with Whitehaven short on the left. Gaskell worked it to Gill, who slipped inside his man before plonking the ball down in the corner.

Jordan Lilley's neat break helped set up Kieran Gill to score. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Bulls then took advantage of a six-again, and after Butler was brought down just short, the ball was flicked to Matongo, who crashed over by the posts, leaving Patton with an easy conversion.

Butler was the next to cross the line, taking a short ball from Patton and going low to force his way over for a converted score.

The next try was a genius effort from Wallace, as Rourke attempted to see the ball behind the in-goal area, only for the Bulls second-row to dive and get his fingers to the ball with it millimetres inside play.

The icing on the cake came from Patton, who beat a few defenders, then chipped over the top.

While Whitehaven complained about obstruction, the half-back carried on running, collected his own kick, and scored, adding the extras himself to set the seal on a result that had looked a million miles away just 40 minutes earlier.

Dec Patton had a strong afternoon with the boot, and rounded the game off in style. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

WHITEHAVEN: Rourke, Eccleston, Taylor, Teare, Groves, Carter, Aiye, Castle, Newton, Ainley, Lanskey, Holliday, King. Interchanges: Hill, Tabu, Singleton, Spencer-Tonks. 18th man: Dixon.

BULLS: Wynne, Blackmore, Myers, Gill, Taufua, Gaskell, Patton, Lawrence, Segeyaro, Matongo, Wallace, Butler, Baitieri. Interchanges: Lilley, Appo, Scurr, Okoro. 18th man: Jowitt.

BULLS MAN OF THE MATCH: Lee Gaskell.